14. Maria Felipa de Souza
Maria Felipa de Souza was a Brazilian woman from Ilha de Itaparica, Bahia, who played a significant role in the war for independence in her state between 1822 and 1823. Alongside Maria Quitéria and Joana Angélica, she is celebrated as a heroine of the movement. Maria Felipa led patrols to prevent enemy landings and was instrumental in setting fire to Portuguese vessels, such as the gunboat Dez de Fevereiro and the ferry Constituição. In 1823, she commanded 40 women armed with fish knives and branches of stinging nettle to expel the Portuguese from Itaparica Island (maepreta.net).
