Who are today's inspirational women and how do we feel about current female role models?

[JustineMumsnet]

I'm attending an event tonight which is discussing today's inspirational women and wanted to pick your brians please.

Who are your role models - do you have them, do they bear any resemblance to those that tend to top the lists in the meeja? Are there women that you find inspiring and why?

[Bonsoir]

Michèle Alliot-Marie. She's so sensible and hardworking and so not a show-off. But, of course, she is French so not really relevant to your event.

[Bonsoir]

Penelope Leach - a true heroine.

[wukter]

I have 3 Brians.
My uncle, a cousin and an ex.

HTH

[PennyDreadful]

Bridget Riley
Zandra Rhodes

Creative forces like those....also artists like Barbara Hepworth (who is now dead of course) who were ahead of their time.

[PennyDreadful]

During the bird flu outbreak there was a woman doing twice daily talks and updates in several languages from the UN. She was fab.

Agree with SWC that it's hardly aspirational to want to be married to a politician - no matter how important he is.

[KiwiKat]

I think we're sadly lacking female role models, which is why so many young girls want to be WAGs - ie, some rich man's appendage, rather than making their own mark.

[Mervynne]

Sheila Kitzinger
Saw something non-optimal and worked to make it better.

[shandydrinker]

kirsty wark
Julie birchill
Caitlin moran

Maggie ofarrell

Louise bourgois
Paula rego
Geeta iyengar

[EdgarAllInPink]

Shami chakrabarti
Margaret Thatcher
Linda Smith (rip)

[Spidermama]

Davina McColl is fabulous.

She has made a success of herself through very feminine attributes. She's genuinely warm and caring, interested in and sympathetic with others AND she's fit and healthy. I bet she's a great mum too. There are very few women in the entertainment world with whom I have any truck whatsoever but she is one.

Lauren Lavern is another. She's intelligent, cool and funny.

Personally I don't have role models as such, but Davina is certainly a woman I like very much and approve of.

I'm also a very big fan of my local MP and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas. She is ethically as sound as anyone I've ever met. She has no airs and graces, is articulate, campaigns tirelessly year after year having to brush shoulders with some proper arse holes in the world of politics, and not only is she a really nice person but is also very funny.

[EdgarAllInPink]

Princess Anne - sportswoman and tireless charity worker.

[Spidermama]

I'd have to echo Sheila Kitzinger.

I largely credit her books with my dream pregnancies and four lovely drug-free home births.

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I heart Davina

[pompncircumstance]

The chancellor of Germany - Angela Merkel

[Mervynne]

Yes but Spidermama, Kitzinger (and of course others) has had such a good go at trying to improve an inhumane system.
I wasn't really talking about her as a role model on a personal level iyswim, though she is that as well.

[Spidermama]

Yes and along the same lines I'd have to say Janet Balaskas and Ina May Gaskin.

[Spidermama]

I also think that Lorraine Kelly, whilst covering silly subjects like make up and celebs, is actually a very sound woman.

[LostArt]

Agree with Linda Smith. Also Jo Brand.

I will always have a soft spot for Jeanette Winterson, if only for 'Organges are not the only fruit'.

[thumbwitch]

another vote for Princess Anne.