Empress Theodora advanced women’s rights during the Byzantine empire by creating laws to protect women from forced prostitution, she granted women to own property, protected women against forced marriages and provided more rights with inheritance for widows, and she supported female convents and gave nuns a place in religious life.

Also, During the Nika Riots, while her husband, Emperor Justinian was ready to flee, Empress Theodora counseled the generals to brutally suppress the rioters. Her decisive action resulted in the deaths of thousands of protectors, but also kept her husband from abandoning his rule. She showed strength and courage in the face of a crisis.