Inspirational women

[naicepineapple]

Off the back of another thread, didn't want to derail. Can we have a thread celebrating truly inspirational women from history to modern day. They can be well known or people only personally known to you.

I'll start with Rosa Parks, she lived from 1913-2005 and was an American civil rights activist who refused to give up her bus seat to a white person.
The First Lady of civil rights and the mother of the freedom movement.

Ads Lovelace mathematician

Philippe Fawcett 'Above the Senior Wrangler'
Vita Sackville-West gardening writer extraordinaire
The Co-operative Women's Guild - severally and collectively

Anita Mäkelä currently the fastest person female or otherwise in all of European motorsport.

@Sarahjconnor thank you for mentioning her- what an inspirational woman

Can I add Dian Fossey to accompany Jane Goodall?

Outstanding conservationist. 'Her' gorillas were reduced from critically endangered to endangered yesterday under the care and protection of her guides and trackers.

She was murdered for her work. She was an outstandingly awkward and outspoken women, she dod all she could, she never gave up.

From the history of computing:
Ada Lovelace
Hedy Lamarr
Grace Hopper
Dorothy Vaughan
All the women at Bletchley
The ENIAC women
Stephanie Shirley
Karen Spärck-Jones
Radia Perlmann
Wendy Hall

And all the other women who have to put up with the shit that a career in tech can bring when you're a woman.

@naicepineapple Thu 15-Nov-18 08:35:18
Boudicca (1st century) for being a fierce leader and warrior and leading 100,000 men into battle.

If I ever have a girl I want to call her Boudicca but it would end up being a middle name.

Sophie Scholl

Executed aged 21 for distributing leaflets criticising the Nazi regime. Very brave.

Josephine Butler, for making public the inhumane way prostitutes were violated and physically assaulted by the state in Victorian England.

Caroline Norton, for leaving an abusive husband and also campaigning to change the laws around custody of the children on divorce cases.

Charlotte Bronte

I was going to say Mary Seacole.

Lastly, Kathryn Dennis from reality show, Southern Charm. A young woman that had two children with an abusive, powerful man. She developed drug and alcohol problems but overcame them to not only gain custody back for her children but is a successful business woman. She really struck as someone who has been through some awful times but come through the other side. If you can, it's worth watching.

Marie Curie (as she was later known) and my very best friend. She is an amazing mother, foster mother, friend, classroom assistant and has time for everyone.
She has the most amazing children and has given children so much love, kindness and care throughout the years.
I truly cannot believe how 1 person can constantly give so much and love so much. She is a true inspiration to me and I know I will never be half the woman that she is- but I will keep on trying! She means more to me (and lots of others!) than anyone else in this world.

Thank you JoantheVampireSlayer, I've just been reading about Sophie Scholl. It's made me quite tearful, I'm struggling to think of anything braver than the actions of the White Rose group.

Haven't read all posts but Margaret Thatcher must be on the list.

Whatever your politics, grocer's daughter to first female PM is a hell of an achievement.

Oh! And the women at Ford Dagenham who started the "equal pay for equal jobs" crusade

Oh! And the women at Ford Dagenham who started the "equal pay for equal jobs" crusade

Kitty Hart-Moxon. A Holocaust survivor. I watched a documentary today about her discussing her time at Auschwitz-Birkenau with my students and they too found her inspirational.

Chimamanda Ngoza Adichie and Toni Morrison.

Their literature has to be read and respected.

Erin Pizzey, for starting the refuge movement for women who affected by domestic violence. She was a friend of my mother's, and by all accounts her husband was a shit.

Lillian Bilocca was a British fisheries worker and campaigner for improved safety in the fishing fleet as leader of the "headscarf revolutionaries" – a group of fishermen's family members from Hull.

After the 'triple trawler' disaster in 1968, when 58 fishermen died after being sent out to sea in undermanned boats, she collected signatures and petitioned Harold Wilson's government to improve safety at sea. All her recommendations were implemented.

Doreen Lawrence. Her dignity and activism after suffering such an outrageous loss are truly humbling.

See also Baroness Newlove.

Audrey Hepburn - not only was she a talented actress and dancer, she was a member of the Dutch resistance as a girl, participating in secret concerts to raise money and carrying messages in her shoes.

She also did amazing work for UNICEF, really getting her hands dirty, even when her own health was failing.

A truly beautiful soul.

Cordelia Fine, Gina Rippon, Daphna Joel.

Katherine Gobel Johnson - one of many NASA computers who did an astounding job in spite of sexism and racial segregation

I especially admire her as in addition to the groundbreaking work she did with NASA and in her field, she volunteered with Girl Scouts USA for over 30 years. I volunteer with Brownies and Guides and I can't imagine how she managed a dedicated volunteering role alongside her paid work !

Most single mums who do extraordinary things on a daily basis in raising their children to become good people.
They may never see their names in lights or receive accolades but they are hugely important and part of the backbone of society.

Have a look at the A Mighty Girl website. Or, if on Facebook, like their page and you will get inspirational story after inspirational story into your feed week after week. So many tales from civil rights to pioneers in science, space travel, politics, innovations, education, medicine etc., spies stories and tales of immense bravery in terrible circumstances. etc., etc.
So many stories that should be made in to films, and stories that should be told in school assemblies and history lessons.

Germaine Greer. Her reputation is being destroyed - as sadly so many women are, as history and storytelling is powerful and if you disrupt that then feminism has to start anew for every generation.

It seems to be only men where we are happy to tell their good side and ignore the bad (Winston Churchill’s belief in ‘racial hierarchies’ seems to be by the by when remembering him) whereas women are told if you are not perfect you are worthless.