Women in piracy
While piracy was predominantly a male occupation, a minority of pirates were women. On many ships, women (as well as young boys) were prohibited by the ship's contract, which all crew members were required to sign. 

Because of the resistance to allowing women on board, many female pirates did not identify themselves as such. Anne Bonny, for example, dressed and acted as a man while on Captain Calico Jack's ship. She and Mary Read, another female pirate, are often identified as being unique in this regard.

This article contains a list of female pirates who are recognized by historians, listed in the time period they were active.

Early pirates

Viking Age and medieval pirates

16th-century pirates

17th-century pirates

Female interaction with pirates in the 18th century

Business interactions
During the Golden Age of Piracy, many men had to leave home to find employment or set sail for economic reasons. This left women with the jobs and responsibilities traditionally held by men. The need for women to fill these roles led them to be granted rights that had historically been exclusive to men.  Women were allowed to trade, own ships, and work as retailers. Often they were innkeepers or ran alehouses. In some seaside towns, laws were written to allow widows to keep their husbands' responsibilities and property. This was important to local economies, as alehouses and other such establishments were centers of commerce, where pirates would congregate and trade with each other and with the people onshore.

As heads of these establishments, women had a considerable amount of freedom in business. They boarded and fed pirates, bought illegally pirated goods, acted as pawnbrokers for pirates, and even gave out loans - something many men, let alone women, viewed with great caution in that time period. At times, female business owners would even hide their clients when authorities came looking to arrest them for piracy.

Marriage
Some women chose to marry pirates. These men were often very wealthy, but their wives tended not to gain wealth as a result of their marriages, as it was difficult for pirates to send home wages and booty earned overseas. These women's houses and establishments were often used as safe havens for pirates, who were considered enemies of all nations.

Piracy
Women sometimes became pirates themselves, though they tended to have to disguise themselves as men in order to do so. Pirates did not allow women onto their ships very often. Additionally, women were often regarded as bad luck among pirates. It was feared that the male members of the crew would argue and fight over the women. On many ships, women (as well as young boys) were prohibited by the ship's contract, which all crew members were required to sign. 

Because of the resistance to allowing women on board, many female pirates did not identify themselves as such. Anne Bonny, for example, dressed and acted as a man while on Captain Calico Jack's ship. She and Mary Read, another female pirate, are often identified as being unique in this regard. However, many women pretended to be pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy, in an effort to take advantage of the many rights, privileges, and freedoms that were exclusive to men.

18th-century pirates

19th-century pirates

20th-century pirates

In fiction
While most fictional and dramatic depictions of pirates have been male, some notable female pirates have been depicted.

Animation
 Emeraldas from the anime Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, and Queen Emeraldas by Leiji Matsumoto
 Nami, Nico Robin, Boa Hancock, Charlotte Linlin, Alvida, Whitey Bay, Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Lola, Charlotte Chiffon, Charlotte Praline and Jewelry Bonney, among others from the manga and anime series, One Piece.
 Revy from the manga and anime series Black Lagoon.
 Space Pirate Sheila from Korean anime Space Thunder Kids.
 Captain Marika Kato of the Bentenmaru from Bodacious Space Pirates.
 Captain Dola of Laputa - Castle in the Sky, by Ghibli Studios.

Comics
 Dragon Lady depicted in Milton Caniff's comic series Terry and the Pirates was inspired by Lai Choi San
 Janme Dark from Aoike Yasuko's Sons of Eve manga series.
 Black boots from Mary Hanson-Roberts' graphic novel Here Comes A Candle.
 Marquise Spinneret Mindfang from the webcomic Homestuck.

Film and television
 Maria (played by Sevda Karaca) from the 1978 film Kara Murat Denizler Hakimi
 Morgan Adams (played by Geena Davis) from the 1995 film Cutthroat Island.
 Nebula (Gina Torres) from the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
 Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films.
 Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris) from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films.
 Mistress Ching (Takayo Fischer) from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End film.
 Angelica (Penélope Cruz) from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides film.
 Elizabeth Bonny (Anna Friel) from SyFy Network's Neverland (miniseries).
 The "surprisingly curvaceous" pirate (voiced by Ashley Jensen) from the 2012 animation The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!.
 Anne Bonny (Clara Paget) in the pirate-themed TV series Black Sails.
 Anne of the Indies (Jean Peters) in the film by Jacques Tourneur, 1951.

Literature

 Bêlit from Robert E. Howard's Conan short-story "Queen of the Black Coast" and related media.
 Mary "Jacky" Faber, from the young adult novel, Bloody Jack, and its sequels.
 Art Blastside, a.k.a. Piratica, Little Goldie Girl, and several others from Tanith Lee's Piratica Series.
 Missee Lee, a Chinese woman pirate captain in Missee Lee by Arthur Ransome
 Ezri Delmastro (Ezrianne de la Mastron) and Zamira Drakasha from the second novel in the Gentleman Bastards Sequence "Red Seas Under Red Skies", by Scott Lynch (author)
 Nancy Kington and Minerva Sharpe in Pirates by Celia Rees.
 The Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate from Gideon Defoe's The Pirates! series of books.
 Emer from A.S. King's young adult novel The Dust of 100 Dogs.
 Peg Polkadot from Julia Donaldson's picture book 'The Troll'
 Fanny Campbell, from Fanny Campbell: Female Pirate Captain, by Maturin Murray Ballou
 Esmerelda from The Price of Freedom, a book based on the young life of Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
Alosa, fierce captain of her own female-dominated crew,  from Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King and sequel Daughter of the Siren Queen (duology).
 Reva in Blacksouls by Nicole Castroman, a duology about Blackbeard's origin story

Theatre
 Ruth from the Operetta Pirates of Penzance.
 Charlotte Badger from Euan Rose's 2008 play Charlotte Badger - Buccaneer.
 Long Joan Silver and Izzy Hands from Arthur M. Jolly's play Long Joan Silver. The other members of the all-female pirate crew are named after famous pirates, including Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

Video games
 Elaine Marley in the Monkey Island series.
 Faris in Final Fantasy V.
 Isabela in the Dragon Age series.
 Fina and Aika, among many others, in Skies of Arcadia.
 Tetra / Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
 Elizabeth Ramsey in Age of Empires III.
 Seth Balmore in Lost Odyssey.
 Risky Boots in the Shantae series.
 Catalina Erantzo in Uncharted Waters: New Horizons.
 Patty Fleur in the PlayStation 3 port of Tales of Vesperia.
 Briggid in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War.
 Governor / Pirate Princess Olivia in Fantasy Life.
 Anne Bonny and Mary Read in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
 Anne Bonny in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.
 Kika in Suikoden 4.
 Ellen Kiel, Anne Reid, Taidha Covington, Sayida the Sly, among others in Guild Wars 2.
 Captain Syrup in the Wario Land series.
 Miss Fortune in League of Legends.
 Beidou in Genshin Impact
 Marine the Raccoon in Sonic Rush Adventure

Multiple media and other depictions
 Multiple fictional depictions of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
 Elena Dugan (Lady Galbraith) in The Seas of Fionnghuala.

See also
 Piracy
 Pirate code
 List of pirates
 List of fictional pirates
 Gender and crime
 Feminist school of criminology

References

Further reading
 Cordingly, David. Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors' Wives
Driscoll, Sally (2009). Anne Bonny: "revenge". Great Neck Publishing.
 Druett, Joan (2000). She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea. Simon & Schuster.
 Lorimer, Sara (2002). Booty: Girl Pirates on the High Seas. Chronicle Books.
 Nelson, James L. The Only Life That Mattered (Also published as 'The Sweet Trade' under the pseudonym 'Elizabeth Barrett')
 Riley, Sandra. Sisters of the Sea
 Stanley, Jo. Bold in Her Breeches

 
Piracy lists
Pirates
Pirates
Lists of women by occupation