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Original poster

Inspirational women in history - who's yours?

256 replies

HecateTrivia · 08/06/2012 13:58

My son has to research and do a biography of an inspirational woman in history. I wondered who you feel inspired by?

OP posts:
banyan · 08/06/2012 22:49

Another Sylvia Pankhurst fan, despite some of her dodgy politics.

Hassiba Boulmerka - Algerian Olympic 1500m champion. Very courageous in face of death threats from militant Islamists, and a great athlete. Loved watching her. Plus now a successful business woman in Algeria. Awesome role model.

Guitargirl · 08/06/2012 22:48

Elsie Inglis

Yama · 08/06/2012 22:47

TheChairmanMeow - there's a film called 'The Hiding Place' which tells the story.. I love it. Corrie appears at the end.

megabored · 08/06/2012 22:44

Wollstonecraft. Sorry for spelling and typos.

thechairmanmeow · 08/06/2012 22:44

womans hour had a program about mary seacole a couple of years ago, assuming it's the same person, a black contempary of florence nightingale, and nightingale took all the glory.

Gunznroses · 08/06/2012 22:43

And have to also add Mary Slessor

megabored · 08/06/2012 22:43

Yes to Mary wallsronecraft. Mother of Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein.
I forget the name of the African model who gives talks against female mutilation. Also the afghan politician Malalai joya and similar personalities. Although they don't directly effect us in the west, the butterfly effect of what they do in their country causes storms elsewhere. They may be remembered in their countries as we now remember wallsronecraft almost 300 years later.

SpangledPandemonium · 08/06/2012 22:41

Sophie Scholl
Aphra Behn

Whitamakafullo · 08/06/2012 22:41

Mary Seacole

thechairmanmeow · 08/06/2012 22:41

just googled Corrie Ten Boon, i live in holland so i'm quite ashamed i have never heard of her, my OH is dutch but she's asleep on the coutch right now so i'll ask her later.

she does sound like an amazing person.

DameHermione · 08/06/2012 22:40

Mary Seacole.

She wasn't the right colour or class but still went and nursed during the crimea.

Jolyonsmummy · 08/06/2012 22:37

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Jolyonsmummy · 08/06/2012 22:37

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Gunznroses · 08/06/2012 22:35

I third, Corrie Ten Boon. Amazing woman!

thechairmanmeow · 08/06/2012 22:30

just googled Mary Wollstonecraft.
wow , in 1759 she argued the radical notion that women were not naturaly inferior to men, they only seemed that way through lack of education.
1759...thats 253 years ago, makes you wonder how what we all find normal in 2012 will be viewed in 2265.

enimmead · 08/06/2012 22:26

Helen Keller

Grace Darling

joanofarchitrave · 08/06/2012 22:25

Gladys Aylward.

The 'houses' at my school were named for historical figures including her. I'm not sure I would ever have heard of her otherwise as I think the idea of mission is increasingly hard to understand (I'm an atheist - though I do know there are still a lot of missionaries about). But her story is so extraordinary, so inspiring, and crosses so many historical/cultural boundaries, that I think she is an interesting person to study.

Jinsei · 08/06/2012 22:21

I second Mary Wollstonecraft.

Also Rosa Parks, Marie Curie and Florence nightingale

megabored · 08/06/2012 22:14

Virginia Wolf
Women running daily life during world war
II

Re. Diana, yes, agree she did good for aids and land mines. But disagree with writing her name next to say, Rosa parks or even Kate Aidi or Angela Merkel.

thechairmanmeow · 08/06/2012 21:59

and=i'm*

GiantPuffball · 08/06/2012 21:59

Marie Curie
Roaslind Franklin
The pankhursts

whyme2 · 08/06/2012 21:55

I think the point about Diana is that at that time Aids and HIV were new and feared illnesses caused by "being bad". So to go against everything that was proper at the time took some courage.

But that is the only thing she has going for her IMO.

dittany · 08/06/2012 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

enimmead · 08/06/2012 21:53

I know Di had issues.

But I do think she inspired people to look at HIV patients differently - the picture of her holding a young child with HIV went worldwide - she used her position to highlight problems.

She also used her position in other ways. But I think she was an inspiration to many.

But not in the same league as others.

thechairmanmeow · 08/06/2012 21:51

personaly i wouldnt chose princess diana
but i'm sure she was a perfectly likeable person, and did good things.
i think it takes more that being nice and 'happening' to be extreamly wealthy and privaledged to make 'inspirational'.
most people who were under public scrutiny like she was and had the time on her hands and the influence she had would have figured philanthropy was a good way to live.

but maybe and old, grumpy and cynical.

it's still between rosa parks and kate adie for me .
rosa parks did what she did in the face of an enourmous machine of white supremecy, that was jittery about there castle of sand collapsing around them, they could have simply had her killed, what she did takes real courage, balls of brass.

and katie, well, she is just so very good at her job, she's gifted in that she has a voice where you simply want to listen when she speaks and that coupled with an unfearing desire to report news from the most hostile parts of this planet in spite of the fact that she must be afraid ( i dont think she''s stupid so she must be afraid) puts her on my list of inspirational women.