To agree with Women's hour power list for most influential women in the last 70 years.

[quencher]

The 2016 Woman's Hour Power List
Winner: Margaret Thatcher - First female British prime minister from 1979-1990

•   <strong>*Helen Brook</strong> - Set up Brook Advisory Centres in 1964 offering contraceptive advice to unmarried women
  

•   <strong>*Barbara Castle</strong> - Labour MP for Blackburn (1945-1979) and brought in the Equal Pay Act in 1970
  

•   <strong>*Germaine Greer</strong> - Australian writer, recognised as one of the major voices of the feminist movement
  

•   <strong>*Jayaben Desai</strong> - Prominent leader of the strikers in the Grunwick dispute in London in 1976
  

•   <strong>*Bridget Jones</strong> - The protagonist of Bridget Jones's Diary, written by Helen Fielding
  

•   <strong>*Beyonce</strong> - US singer and songwriter who emerged as part of Destiny's Child before a hit solo career
  

I also, agree to the reasons why the queen didn't make the list.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/PnqpZRvgbvMFBCtrwHhhTZ/the-7-women-whove-changed-womens-lives

I don't agree with Bridget Jones or Beyoncé on there. It seems no list of women is complete these days unless it has a fictional character, an animal or a man on it.

"most influential women in the last 70 years."
What this list says to me is that we still know almost nothing about womens history, and women who actually have had an impact are hidden and forgotten. Okay, Maggie cos you'd have to be really thick to not have heard of her, Brook Advisory centres because women are likely to have used them, might have read Germaine Greer and she has been on the telly a bit. But Beyonce (I actually don't know who she is, not my style of music), Bridget Jones, all very recent and popular culture, all very personal, rather than women who have had influence because of their serious impact on history.

We have no history (or herstory), according to this list (since we have 70 years to choose from), and aren't making any either! Extremely depressing. Although a big cheer for the inclusion of Germaine!

Bridget Jones and Beyoncé?

There really weren't two more deserving women, from the last 70 years, that they could have chosen?

Or even one more actual real woman?

Ye gods.

Angela Merkel? Gloria Steinem? Melanie Klein?

I think it's a bit fawning but :en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_impact_of_Madonna

Explains a lot of the reasons - if you think back, then so many things that are accepted as normal by female popstars, Madonna did first. She's been in pop music for nearly as long as I've been alive - re-inventing her style time and time again to stay relevant and at the front. She's 58 and still touring in a solo act - she's showing that women can do this, should be doing it, and can keep doing it for as long as they like.

I sound like some kind of super-fan, but I haven't bought a Madonna album since I was about 15.. I just think that she blazed the trail that Beyonce is on (not that Beyonce obviously hasn't had some hurdles herself), and that's why I find it a surprising choice.

The founder of women's refuges should get a mention on this thread if nowhere else.

It caused a sea change in how women could advise each other, my example is of my mum who watched two dear family members struggle to " make it work" with abusive husbands. Some time later after the refuges opened, a woman told my mum about her husband beatng her and my mum was finally able to say " you don't have to put up with that anymore"!

At least Bono wasn't on it. I was horrified that Bridget Jones was on it. I was only joking about Barbie.

The founder of women's refuges should get a mention on this thread if nowhere else.

I don't think she would appreciate being named as one of these women, or that she should be given the accolade, given that she named a survivor of sexual violence repeatedly during a men's rights conference recently and actively hates women. However, interesting idea.

Well I was talking about the practical help it afforded women. Sorry I don't keep up with who's hot and what is not in the world of feminism.

Go Beyonce!

I'm embarrassed to be a woman by this list.
So the judges were looking for impact. Agreed Thatcher made an impact, but then so did Mr Kalashnikov. I did not understand the rationale of this choice. A narcissistic ball-breaker is not a positive female role model IMO. Even Theresa May would have been a better option since she has held the door open for more female colleagues in the cabinet (which Thatcher selfishly never did) and got the police trained in recognising coercive control in domestic violence.
Bridget Jones - nonsensical choice. Out of all the amazing REAL women out there, I fail to see the constructive message a fictional character sends as inspiration to the next generation.
Beyonce sings a few songs and looks beautiful. What about someone like Nicola Adams as a trailblazer for young women? She has forged an untrodden path and shown how determination, resilience and hard work get rewarded.
Woman's Hour - one angry and disappointed listener here. Could do a lot better.

Yes frosty, because feminism is all about who's hot and who's not.

Bridget Jones FFS.

I was being sarcastic. Christ only knows what feminism IS about. I won't be back, do not fear.

The rest I'd agree with, even Bridget Jones to a degree. I cannot however agree with Beyoncé after her latest album. Whilst everyone else was getting wrapped up in the possible gossip of her being cheated on by Jay Z with 'Becky with the good hair', she didn't speak up once when a few innocent women were being trolled on social media, and some even shouted at in the street because of rumours and speculation that they may be said 'Becky'.
It helped sales of Lemonade sky rocket as everyone wanted to hear the album just to see if they could get an insight of who this woman was by listening to the lyrics themselves, yet Beyoncé didn't even write the album herself, she merely contributed to the writing. I think that she let other women get worldwide flack for something they didn't do is actually disgusting and because of this I wouldn't purchase the album and certainly wouldn't say she was a very good feminist.

The list is generally entertaining rather than serious. A bit light on academics and particularly scientists.
The Bridget Jones inclusion is funny. The book was a great satire.
Glad germaine Greer was in there - she has been quiet lately.

Well I was talking about the practical help it afforded women. Sorry I don't keep up with who's hot and what is not in the world of feminism

If you mean Erin Pizzey, then I agree she was immensely influential in establishing refuges and promoting the idea that domestic violence was never "just a domestic"

The list is of powerful and influential women, not feminists - Pizzey is still listened to ( posting her Wiki leak as I didn't know what she was up to recently)and her early work was hugely influential. I don't think it necessarily follows she would not wish to be included. She deserves to be there far more than Beyoncé.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Pizzey?wprov=sfla1

Summer
I think that she let other women get worldwide flack for something they didn't do is actually disgusting and because of this I wouldn't purchase the album and certainly wouldn't say she was a very good feminist.
am happy beyonce doesn't respond to silly things like that. The woman created the issue by making hints and implying that it was about her. She wanted publicity and she got it. Why was she surprised that the fans were not happy with it.
There is also, another trend of people tacking Beyoncé and expecting publicity at the back of it. I don't think she has ever responded to any of it.

Lemonade is master piece and cemented her status in the music industry. I think she was ok before but this album made it for.

Choc I could easily pick ten women who paved the way for Beyoncé before I choose Madonna. I think the routes Madonna and Beyoncé took are different and how they would be treated would be different too.
I found it's interesting when Jessie jay once thought that Britney paved the way for beyonce and without Britney there would be no Beyoncé.
I would put Tina turner and Janet Jackson before Madonna in helping her to where she is now. I think for Beyoncé, her race is the biggest hindrance. I do believe she has crossed that barrier compared to her other black female counterparts. I think Rihanna too but to black women, Beyoncé makes it seem possible.

Don't get me wrong, I know Madonna is great, huge and controversial, but her privilege helped the same way it did miley Cyrus. If it's about videos and how she does her songs, I think Micheal Jackson would be first. I don't think Madonna would have helped with her videos being aired on tv but Mj did that. For being controversial, Josephine baker and grace jones. I believe they would have to accepted as people before they can enjoy the same freedom someone like Madonna can.

I think Beyoncé is the most divisive talked about person in regards to feminism in the last 10-15 years whether you agree with her or not. Every thing she does is dissected and talked about on how it influences young girls or represents women.
As a whole, she is keeping the feminist dialogue going. Not just with those who understand feminism but involving young people. Her use of C.N Adichie's, "we should all be feminist" is a perfect example. I don't think that is a bad thing at all.

Mike I would agree with barbie as one of the biggest influence on young girls in relation to beauty standard. However, I think barbie is based on societies ideology of beauty. It's an ingrained belief system that barbie embodies. It's the face of it. Bridget breaks that ideological belief by being more relatable to a lot of women and a bit realistic in her portrayal against the media, i.e. Hollywood.

I think the Barbie reference was tongue in cheek.

I knew it was meant as a joke but I do feel there is more than just a grain of truth in the joke.
If there weren't any truth, it wouldn't have popped in your mind for you to post it.
It's not so funny now, is it? Mattel will be celebrating their contributions to societies mental health problems, including body dysmorphia and stress.