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Original poster

Brilliant women you admire

41 replies

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 23/03/2010 01:12

Thought it might be nice to have a thread to celebrate the women, past or present, who have achieved great things (conventionally "great" or not), and who inspire you.

Most of mine are writers, but I have to put in a word for Ada Lovelace, who invented computer programming (and thus, eventually, MN ).

Also, Malalai Joya, an Afghan campaigner for women's rights and other human rights. She stands up to the warlords fearlessly, in a way that no-one else (even our own government with their own army) does. Profile in the Independent here

Who do you admire, and why?

OP posts:
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EldritchCleavage · 20/03/2013 21:39

Gareth Pierce. Solicitor who has taken on the cases of the unpopular, the demonised, the apparently completely guilty and fought them hard, exposing miscarriages of justice in the process.

CarnivorousPanda · 20/03/2013 21:34

Marie Curie. Won the Nobel prize twice.

Elizabeth the First. Assembled a brilliant court. Highly intelligent, showed a woman could rule effectively.

Hilary Clinton high profile, influential politician.

FreudiansSlipper · 19/03/2013 08:05

Maya Angelou

I know why the cadged bird sings is a must read

runningforthebusinheels · 19/03/2013 07:51

bump

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 18/03/2013 01:37

Ooh I missed this thread first time round. It's a goodie.

Childrenofthestones · 18/03/2013 00:55

LittlePushka Tue 23-Mar-10 01:26:20
Ellen McArthur...because she knows about dreams, adversity, risk, terror and tenacity , she is interesting, self- depracting, driven and she just gets on with it...totally.

had I not bore sons, I'd have named a daughter after her

I had a daughter and did.
But my nomination is Erin Prizzey and brave and principled woman.

PretzelTime · 17/03/2013 23:24

Hmm, this thread is 3 years old. Why do the trolls bump such old threads?

On topic I have to say I'm immensively grateful for the hard work of all the suffragettes.

doyouwantfrieswiththat · 17/03/2013 22:26

these

banned861 · 17/03/2013 11:23

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LeninGrad · 29/03/2010 17:01

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Original poster
ElephantsAndMiasmas · 29/03/2010 00:49

So glad this thread was revived, I've just spent a fascinating half hour reading up on all these wonderful people.

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityhat · 28/03/2010 23:04

Jo Brand and Joan Bakewell are my two favourite women in the public eye.

CastleDouglas · 28/03/2010 23:03

That should have read as 'disenfranchised South Africans in the apartheid era'. Duh!

CastleDouglas · 28/03/2010 23:02

Helen Suzman, for her effort on behalf of all disenfranchised South Africans, and her promulgation (sp?) of womens' rights in RSA.

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/01/helen-suzman

For anyone interested, her memoirs 'In No Uncertain Terms' in worth a read.

Granny23 · 28/03/2010 21:59

I was going to nominate all the woman who are or were Women's Aid workers particularly in the early days of the movement. But on consideration I nominate the thousands of brave, determined women who have successfully managed to extricate themselves and, most importantly, their children from abusive relationships, providing not only inspiration to the Women's Aid workers and other women embarking on the same perilous journey but living, real, defiant proof that male dominance or abuse will not be tolerated.

MinnieMalone · 28/03/2010 21:29

sorry Maggie Aderin-Pocock

MinnieMalone · 28/03/2010 21:28

Oh, all of these. Rosa Parks and the fabulous Malalai Joya both huge ones for me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/4985076/Lets-inspire-the-next-generation-of-scientists.html Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a recent discovery. Inspirational space scientist and generally super dooper clever woman.

nigglewiggle · 28/03/2010 21:19

Shami Chakrabarti. She is incredibly intelligent and articulate. I don't always agree with what she has to say, but I admire her passion and conviction. I also love the way that she can cut politicians down to size whilst always maintaining a restrained sense of dignity.

CMOTdibbler · 28/03/2010 21:12

All of the above. Plus Mary Seacole, Rosalind Franklin, Irene Joliot Curie (she carried on the work that had killed both her parents), and Ilora Finlay. Ilora is responsible in part for the massive changes in palliative medicine - she was the first professor of it, and has really turned it into a proper medical speciality.

TinaSparkles · 28/03/2010 21:07

Not for feminist reasons, more on a humanistic level, but I've always admired Jane Goodall, the primatologist (okay had to look on Wiki for that!).

Find her work and life fascinating and makes me appreciate that we as primates ourselves, are still very much animals.

BelleDameSansMerci · 28/03/2010 20:56

When I read the thread title my first thought was "My mum". Which astonished me and would horrify her... She made me the strong, independent, hard working, non-bullshit tolerating woman I am.

In addition:

All the suffragettes (do you know about the force feeding during hunger strike in prison?).

Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma).

And I know Florence Nightingale was wrong and contributed unknowingly to the deaths of many but I still admire her for her determination and her behaviour when she found she was wrong. Tragic.

Oh God, so, so many fantastic women. Lots of 'em on here!

KerryMumbles · 28/03/2010 20:53

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Nelvana · 28/03/2010 20:53

Ursula Franklin, scientist, pacifist, activist

southeastastra · 28/03/2010 20:48

sinead o'connor for having balls
kate bush ditto

KerryMumbles · 28/03/2010 20:47

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