Women are amazing, men are amazing — catch my drift when I say that both can be equally amazing? And that’s it, that’s what International Women’s Day is all about.
General appreciation of all women in all their beautiful, varied existence may be enough for some, but, for those who seek more, this is for you: in this article, we will be narrowing the scope of admiration to recognize some of the most impactful women in England and Australia’s rich history in multiple fields. Here we go:
- Boudica – What better way to begin the list than with one of England’s oldest heroes, Boudica. Boudica was a queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire around AD 61. Boudica and her daughters drove round in her chariot to all her tribes before the battle, exhorting them to be brave. It is said that she asked her tribe to consider: ‘Win the battle or perish: that is what I, a woman will do; you men can live on in slavery if that’s what you want. Boudica and her daughters were commemorated by constructing a bronze structural group near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, UK.
- Fanny Cochrane Smith – Smith is an important figure for Tasmania, Australia. Despite being partly raised in orphanages and institutions, Smith continued to return to her family and to hunt, gather bush foods and medicines, make baskets, dive for shellfish and carry out Aboriginal observances for the rest of her life. Proud and vocal about her heritage as one of the Pakana people, in 1899 and 1903 she made the only recordings in existence of Tasmanian Aboriginal song on wax cylinders which are held in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
- Rosalind Franklin – Franklin, an English chemist, played a fundamental role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, RNA, coal and viruses in the 1950s. Her discovery of the double-helix structure of the DNA proved invaluable to the work of Francis Crick and James Watson who were awarded – along with Maurice Wilkins – a joint Nobel Prize for describing the structure of DNA. The controversial exclusion of Franklin in the award continues to be corrected by the people of today by naming a university after her, hosting a string of events in her name and by raising her plaque in Cambridge’s Eagle Hub.
- Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn – Still on the topic of DNA, Australian scientist Dr. Blackburn helped enhance the understanding of the DNA by discovering the genetic enzyme ‘telomerase’. Blackburn isolated and precisely described telomeres in 1978. For her incredible contribution to molecular biology, she earned the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside two other scientists. Dr. Blackburn continues to be recognized for her achievements, with a lengthy list of awards and presidentship.
- Audrey Hepburn – The English actress was initially acclaimed for her contributions to the film industry post-World War II, with her illustrious career earning her a rank by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend in Golden Age Hollywood — Princess Anne and Holly Golightly undoubtedly perpetuated the next era of free-spirited female characters. In her later years, Hepburn branched out into humanitarian work, for which she received a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award. In addition to over 50 trips to Third World countries, Hepburn worked tirelessly to raise support for UNICEF’s programs and increase public awareness of the challenges facing the world’s children. To commemorate the starlet with a big heart, UNICEF decided to build a bronze sculpture of named The Spirit of Audrey.
- Kate Winslet – Like Hepburn, this Australian actress inspired many girls around the world for her portrayals of quick-witted, strong women. In 2016, following her win for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA awards, Winslet shared a heartfelt message: “Any young woman who has ever been put down by a teacher, or a friend, or even a parent, just don’t listen to any of it, because that’s what I did.” The actress has won too many awards to mention, and continues to contribute to the film industry.
- Martha Lane Fox – Jumping into more current figures with financial game is British business woman, Martha Lane Fox. A dotcom pioneer, having started lastminute.com in 1997 with fellow business mogul Brent Hoberman CBE, which the duo later sold for £577m, Lane Fox is a hugely successful businesswoman, philanthropist and public servant. She sits on the board of some of the country’s most prominent brands, including Marks & Spencer and Channel 4, and has made significant contributions to the government’s digital agenda.
- Jane Cay – Cay, founder of Birdsnest, an online fashion retail shop, is one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs. Birdsnest started out as a little clothes store in Cooma’s high street in New South Wales in 2004. The former information technology worker launched an online store in 2009 and now employs 140 staff. Her workforce is 95% female and a lot of staff work flexibly and part time to fit around school hours and other commitments.After being interviewed by a member of the Sydney Morning Herald, Cay revealed: “You don’t have to be the smartest or the strongest, as long as you keep being adaptable to change and evolving you can survive and thrive. I always had something that held me back and I thought ‘I’m not the smartest in my class, can I really start a business on my own?’. It was just a case of realising you just have to try it. That’s been the biggest comfort on my journey when you feel like you are winging it.”
This concludes our the list of impactful women from the UK and Australia. As a final word, did you know that an analysis by Quantopian hedge-fund researcher Karen Rubin showed that women CEOs outperform peers in the S&P 500 by three to one, further developing the conversation over women driving top financial returns. To find out more about women being at the top of the financial game, check this out: https://csiprop.com/investing-women-do-it-better/.
If this list inspires you to learn about more influential women, the internet is yours to discover! Or share with us who the most influential woman in your life is in the comments below! Happy International Women’s Day!
By Nimue Wafiya
Source:
http://fortune.com/2015/03/03/women-led-companies-perform-three-times-better-than-the-sp-500/
csiprop.com/investing-women-do-it-better/
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