Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War

War has never spared women. In war, women are not only victims of atrocities but also active participants in resistance. Today, onInternational Working Women’s Day, a celebration of equality, progress, and freedom, let us honor the indomitable spirits of women who fought in World War II.

Antonina:Saved Over 300 Lives with Her Husband

On September 1, 1939, Germany launched a blitzkrieg. Bombers destroyed Poland and shattered the peaceful life of the Warsaw Zoo.

JanZabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo, and his wife Antonina transformed the zoo, which had been bombed by the Nazis, into a transit station for the underground resistance. During the six long years of darkness, this station saved the lives of over 300 Jews and Nazi resisters.

“My wife was apolitical, preferring to stay distant from war,”Jan recalled. “She was timid by nature, yet she played a crucial role in saving others without ever complaining about the danger.”

Antonina managed a “family” that simultaneously sheltered dozens of people and animals. She remained constantly alert, prepared to face any sudden crisis.

Antonina cradling a small animal

Irena:Rescued Over 2,500 Children

When Germanyinvaded Poland in 1939, Irena Sendlerowa was a social worker in the Polish Welfare Departmentand also the head of a secret resistance organization. Her job granted her access to the Warsaw Ghetto.

Under the guise of her work, Irena smuggled children out of the ghetto. She claimed they had contagious diseases to transport them in ambulances, and hid them in garbage bags, coffins, and even body sacks, retrievingthem from cellars and sewers.

She meticulously forged new identities for the children, placing them with kind-hearted families, while burying jars containing their names and birthdates under trees. Through these efforts, she saved over 2,500 young lives.

In October 1943, Irena was arrested after being betrayed. Though brutally tortured, she did not reveal the nameof a single child. On the eve of her execution, the secret resistance organization bribed a German officer to secure her.

Left: Young Irena; Right: Elderly Irena

Lyudmila：Eliminated 309 Enemies as a Sniper in One Year

Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko once dreamed of becoming a singer or teacher. But war shattered her aspirations.

When Germany launched an unprovoked attack on the Soviet Unionin June 1941, Lyudmila enlisted, driven by patriotism, and became a riflewoman in the 25th Rifle Division.

In the brutal war, Lyudmila killed 309 enemy soldiers. The Germans attempted to bribe her with titles and wealth.When that failed, they turned to threats. Undeterred, she remained on the front lines.

In June 1942, she was wounded by German artillery and had to withdraw from combat. Later, she visited the U.S. on behalf of the Soviet Union, sharing her wartime experiences in hopes of convincing American leaders and citizens to support opening a second front.

Lyudmila in a trench in 1942

Lilia:The Female Ace Pilot Who Shot Down the Most Enemy Aircraft

In 1941, the Soviet Union formed the all-female 586th Fighter Regiment.Among those selected was 20-year-old Lilia Litvyak. In 1942, she joined the 286th Fighter Regiment, fighting alongside male pilots.

On September 13, Lilia flied a combat aircraft for the first time to intercept German aircrafts. flew a combat mission for the first time to intercept German aircraft. She fired at an enemy plane, which crashed in smoke, becoming the first plane ever shot down by a female pilot in history.

In early 1943, Lilia was deployed to the front lines at Stalingrad. By August, she had shot down 12 enemy aircraft, making her the highest-scoring female pilot of World War II.

On August 1, 1943, during a patrol, she was ambushed by eight German planes and tragically shot down. Her regiment was posthumously named in her honor.

Lilia Litvyak

Lu Meiyin:Shot to Death by Japanese Soldiers While Protecting an Infant

Among the 4,296 martyrs commemorated on the Nanjing Anti-Japanese Aviation Martyrs Monument, Lu Meiyin is the only female aviation martyr. 

A native of Nanjing, Lu graduated from Ginling College and later studied at Yenching University. In 1939, she went to Peking Union Medical College to study nursing and subsequently became a flight attendant for China National Aviation Corporation. In 1940, her plane was attacked by Japanese aircraft over Yunnan. Though she had a chance to escape, Lu who pregnant at the timeheard a baby’s cry and rushed to protect the child. She was tragically shot and killed at the age of 26.

Lu Meiyin

Li Xiuying:Defying Rape with Unyielding Resistance

During the Nanjing Massacre, countless women resisted Japanese atrocities with their lives. Li Xiuying, a Nanjing Massacresurvivor,was one of them.

In 1937, 19-year-old Li Xiuying, nearly seven months pregnant, was hiding in the basement of a refugee camp at Mount Wutai Primary School in Nanjing.On December 19, three Japanese soldiers attempted to rape her. Li resisted fiercely,and they stabbed her more than 20 times on her face, legs, and abdomen.

Li Xiuying, who had fallen unconscious, was taken to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. Although she survived, her unborn child did not.

Li Xiuying receiving treatment in the hospital

In 1947, Li Xiuying testified as a witness of the Nanjing Massacre at the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, she continued to speak out against Japanese war crimes on numerous occasions.

In the book The Unwomanly Face of War, Belarusian author Svetlana Alexandravna Alexievich recorded the memories of over a hundred Soviet female soldiers. One female sapper platoon leader said: “Do you know how long a sapper platoon leader lives? On average, only two months... We knew that, and that’s why we insisted on going to the front.”

May the world no more war. May women forever live in peace.