Your favourite feminist icons

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I am quite in awe of Geena Davis of late. Speaking up about inequality in the U.S. film industry and the work she has done to raise the bar in women's roles in kids TV shows.
I'm not sure she is my all time top feminist icon though.
Who is your feminist hero, and why?

Ooh yes. I saw her being interviewed and was impressed.

Ruth Davidson (leader of the Scottish conservative party!!!!!!). Personable, very professional unpretentious manner

Holly Walsh - comedian

The academic who presented 'The Rise of Woman'

Kath Mainland, head of Edinburgh Fringe Festival and now taking up a similar (bigger) post in Melbourne - everyone who has worked with her speaks very highly of her. She comes from a little Scottish island.

Order member of a Buddhist Centre near me - a natural leader, very charismatic and obviously very ethical.

Winifred Robinson on R4 - such a pro, fabulous voice, comes across as an excellent interviewer while seeming to be very likeable

Jane Austen

Don't know if these women would particularly count as feminists, but they're women I admire.

Great thread! Geena David is cool.

Emma Watson.

Used to be Alice Schwarzer. Not so sure anymore after she spoke out in favour of Fifty Shades of Grey.

There's a lot of internet feminist bloggers I think very highly of, though I am not sure they are "icons" - they are not really famous outside of feminist circles.

Maybe Germaine Greer. Saw an interview with her recently. She certainly is a cool old lady!

I admire Ashley Judd massively for her activism and speaking out about issues that many in the public eye would shy away from.

Off to google Ashley Judd...

Now following her on twitter.

Claire Short MP campaigned against page 3 long before it was fashionable to do so

Germaine Greer - because she has simply kept on and on and on over the years, regardless of whether her message has been 'in fashion' or not, and she has never given in.

And Dale Spender, because she introduced to me feminism at a brilliant university workshop many, many years ago.

Yes I had forgotten Dale Spender. Man made language was an amazing discovery in my youth

Gotta be Germaine, but it may be a generational thing.

I like a lot of 'up and coming' feminists like Laura Bates, Emma Watson, Yas Necati, Lucy-Anne Holmes. I feel like there's an age limit before you become an icon though!

I am reminded of Rosa Parks this evening.

my favourite icons change regularly

If I have to chose an icon or in this case a group of women as an Icon it would be the night witches from the Russian second world war forces. I may not agree with the politics but what they did shows so much of what can be achieved. See here

What is feminist about the night witches? Other than fighting the misogynist German government of the time, I mean.

rogueantimatter I was at school with Kath Mainland . Orkney's not that small, it has a population of 20,000 doncha know!

Kate Millett. I found Sexual Politics such an amazing read, much more so than The Female Eunuch which has brilliant moments but which IMo has dated a lot more.

And Martina Navratilova. She was the 80s to me.

Vestal I found the fact that they flew bi planes at low speed at night. The sheer bravery of those women I find inspiring, even if I could fly, using a plane that is slow and very vulnerable I don't think I would be brave enough to do it. And it is a true measure of equality that both sexes fought side by side in the Russian army.

Vi Subversa. She formed a punk band in the 70's when she was a single mother in her 40's. She wrote and sang some really articulate and powerful songs about motherhood, single parenthood, abortion, mental illness and women's oppression. She's 80 now, still a punk and still performing.

I think that Alice Walker has been hugely influential, but for some reason has fallen out of fashion.

Mrs Thatcher.
I'll get me coat.

Lisa Jardine ( RIP, died way before her time) Helena Kennedy, Geena Davis, Annie !ennox, fahma Mohamed, Clare short, germaine Greer (big apart from her blinkeredness on childbirth & childcare - heard her speak twice on this and she was rather dismissive...)

I have a few very new feminist icons too.

Glosswitch is one, for her amazing writing and honesty. June Eric-Udorie, for her clarity of thought and dynamism (and blooming heck, she's only 16 or 17). Malala Yousafzai, no need to explain why.

And finally, Louise Pennington, for her utterly consistent and unstinting support of other women, no matter what their situation in life, supposed political positioning, or what other people think of them - she brings an honest appraisal to every situation and asks what the truly feminist thing is to do in each situation, and isn't afraid to stand up and be counted when what she thinks isn't the same as mainstream opinion. I feel very privileged to count her a friend, because she is the person out of everyone I know who most truly lives her feminism. (She's also done amazing things in setting up an effective campaign with absolutely no resources.)

Susan Faludi's 'Backlash' was awesome.