Amazons

In Greek and Roman history, the Amazons were an all-female warrior culture that was feared and admired by all the kingdoms surrounding it. It's not surprising then that Christine de Pizan uses this civilization as a model for the City of Ladies she plans on building.

As she mentions (with a sense of wonder) at the beginning of her book,

[They] courageously assembled and took counsel among themselves and decided finally that thenceforth they would maintain their dominion by themselves without being subject to men. (1.16.1)

Now Christine isn't going to go so far as saying that women should be independent of men. But she definitely envies the way the Amazons were able to live the life they wanted.

The Amazon women were so committed to becoming warriors that they actually altered their bodies in order to achieve their goals. As Christine de Pizan tells us,

[When] they were little girls, [they] burned off their left breast through some technique so that it would not hinder them from carrying a shield, and they removed the right breast of commoners to make it easier for them to shoot a bow. (1.16.1)

The Amazon women weren't going to stand around and let men tell them that nature put men in charge. Instead, the Amazons punched nature in the face and did what they had to in order to create the world they wanted.