There were many famous pre-17th century women, such as Julia Augusta (Livia), Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and Isabella of Spain.
Aesop
Thucydides was a famous Greek Historian. He was writing in the 5th century and focuses on the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.
Generally Egyptian society was ruled by men, but there were indeed a few woman Pharaohs; the most famous of which was Hatshepsut
Thousands of people live in Turkey during thr 4th century. Perhaps the most famous was St. Nicholas of Myra.
Florence Nightingale is famous for looking after the soldiers in the crimean war, and for being the first woman nurse.
Elizabeth 1
Women in the Nineteenth Century was written by Margaret Fuller.
Napoleon Bonaparte.
Dr.Muthulashmi Reddi ,she was the first Indian doctor
Henri Matisse.
Oprah Winfrey
Megan is the narrator of The Three Century-Woman.
Woman in the Nineteenth Century was created in 1843.
Famous in the Last Century was created in 2000-04.
Indira Gandhi was the first woman prime minister of India. She held that office until she was assassinated in 1984.
Salud Tesoro was a Filipino business woman in the early to mid-20th Century. She was the entrepreneur behind Tesoro's, a famous retail outlet in Manila.
In Wikipedia there is a list of female scientists before the 21st century, perhaps Marie Curie. See link below.