It’s International Women’s Day on 8 March, and the team has been asked ‘who is your female role model?’
Women are high achievers, they break molds, overcome barriers, put others before themselves and have courage, strength, and determination. So, it should be easy, right? Three days later and I’m struggling…
Dinner table discussions with my family of boys revolve around male athletes, male influencers, male actors and male musicians. Ask me who my kids male role models are, and I’ll answer quicker than you can say ‘The Rock’. Embarrassingly, I can’t even name one single, female England football player even though I admire them all greatly.
I need to do more research, so I put the question to a mixed gender group of friends at a social gathering. The females were stumped. A suggestion of Queen Victoria came from a male contingent. ‘Why Queen Victoria’ I asked, ‘Well, it’s her enviable power – look how she grew the British Empire’.
She won’t make it onto my list. However, during her reign she was extremely popular with women. Considered the ultimate role model for female leadership, (even though she unwillingly assumed the role), many women respected her as she embodied the popular values of Christianity and family throughout her long and successful reign.
Still my page is blank. So, to help shape my thoughts I consult the Oxford English Dictionary. A ‘role model’ is a ‘person regarded by others as an example to imitate’.
There are many women I admire, but would I really want to imitate them? There’s the brave and resilient astronaut Sunita Williams currently stuck on a risky space mission, away from family and friends, for the progression of humanity. Or Simone Biles for not only being an Olympic gymnast but for having the strength to prioritise her mental health over competing and advocate for others to do the same. These are both outstanding women, but their achievements are almost unrelatable and impossible to imitate.
So, I think closer to home. In situations where I struggle to know which direction to take, I often wonder what my mum would do. She has brought me up with a solid set of values many of which I respect and demonstrate. Is she my role model? No way, I’m far too independent minded for that and like most daughters I make it my mission NOT to follow in her footsteps.
I reflect on my hobbies and career in the vein hope that a female role model might emerge from the ashes like Joan of Arc’s soul.
Billie Jean King perhaps and her determination and success in achieving gender equality in tennis? Or Julia Child, one of the first women to host a show in 1960s male-dominated TV industry.
Still no closer to answering the question I decide that I am overthinking it. If my male friend can nominate Queen Victoria in less than 20 seconds, then in the spirit of competition I’m going to name more than 5 and in less than 20 seconds. Here we go…
Frida Kahlo – Mexican artist, for battling physical illness and adversity through art
Hannah Waddingham – actor, for standing up to male paparazzi after sexist comments
Miriam Margoles – actor, for her unfiltered conversation and sense of humour
Gabby Logan – broadcaster, for being a relatable sports journalist and encouraging a dialogue about the menopause
Jane Austen – author, for challenging society’s expectations of women’s behaviour
Sharon Horgan – comedy writer and actor, for getting her first break in her late 30’s and then rising to fame in her 50s
Raye – singer, songwriter, musician – for being the first woman in history to win Songwriter of the Year at the Brits and fighting for ownership of the rights to her music
We’d love to hear about the women in your life that you’d like to celebrate on International Women’s day. Drop us a message on social media to let us know!
