Joan of Arc faced numerous challenges during her journey as a leader, including resistance from military and religious authorities. Despite being a young peasant girl, she claimed to receive divine visions that inspired her to support Charles VII in reclaiming the French throne from English occupation. Her gender posed significant barriers, as she contended with skepticism towards a woman in a leadership role during the Hundred Years' War. Captured and tried for heresy, she bravely defended her faith and convictions. Ultimately, her execution in 1431 made her a martyr and symbol of French nationalism and female empowerment.