Clara Lau & Lily Xiao Hong Lee 
Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: v. 1: The Qing Period, 1644-1911 [PDF ebook] 

The first biographical dictionary in any Western language devoted solely to Chinese women, this reference is the product of years of research, translation, and writing by a team of over 60 China scholars from around the world. Compiled from a wide array of original sources, these detailed biographies present the lives, work, and significance of more than 200 Chinese women from many different backgrounds and areas of interest.