Inspiring Women...

I had an email today that made me stop and think (thanks, Oxfam). The 8th March is International Women's Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of 'the fairer sex' past and present, and they were asking people to tell them about the women who inspire them and who they will be celebrating come the big day. This happens to tie in very nicely with a book I'm reading at the moment (shockingly, not about serial killers, sex workers, vampires or scandalous artists and/or poets), so despite the fact it's a few weeks too early, I shall take advantage of the inspiration and write a blog entry on the women who inspire me the most.

The first is glaringly obvious. Clearly I and every other emancipated woman in the UK owe a HUGE debt of honour to Mrs Pankhurst and all the other women who fought, suffered and, in many cases, died in the struggle for women's suffrage. It sort of goes without saying that come the 8th March, I will pause for a moment and think of them, the pioneers; the women who refused to accept the status quo and stood up for what they believed to be right. They were often cruelly treated in the eyes of the law (hasn't that always been the Lot of Woman?) but they were utterly fearless in the face of oppression, imprisonment, assault (both physical and sexual) and force-feeding and for that I stand humbled and grateful before their collective greatness.

The second is perhaps just as obvious but many times more personal: my mum. There just aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe what an amazing woman my mum actually is, but I'm going to try...Not only did she give me life, but she has been there for me every single day since; for every illness; school performance; boy crisis; friend crisis; the good times and the bad, she is always there to support me and scold me when needed. After my parents divorced and we moved in with her parents, Mum raised the two of us while holding down a full-time job and, eventually, helping nurse my Grandad through his final illness. When I went through my own 'troubles' for a few years, she was always there to love me and let me know she was there for me; I didn't appreciate it at the time, and I'm fairly certain that if it were me I'd have booted me out of the house for being so unremittingly horrid to everyone, but now I appreciate just how much she actually did for me. And it's not just me - whenever any of the family or her many friends need her, she's there, even if things in her own life aren't going so swimmingly. Mum, if you read this, I know I don't tell you often enough just how much I love and appreciate you but you truly are one of my best friends and a total inspiration to me. xx

My third inspiring lady is the utterly fantabulous Sarah Jezebel Deva. Sarah inspires me because she knows exactly what she wants and she goes out and works bloody hard for it; when she was unceremoniously bumped from Cradle of Filth's tour, she didn't let it deter her ambitions and has moved from 'that bird who sings backing vocals' to a front-woman in her own right. And a bloody brilliant one at that. She's worked her arse off to get to where she is and in my own humble and very biased opinion, she deserves to have all the success in the world. Not only has she come a long way (and battled a fair few demons of her own, I understand) but she is one of the nicest people I have ever had the privilege of meeting and I wish her all the success in the world.

My fourth inspiring woman is Elizabeth Siddal. Lizzie is probably best known as either the tragic wife and muse of poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, or as the model for John Millais' beautiful painting of Ophelia in the Tate Britain gallery. What many people don't know is that Lizzie was a highly talented artist and painter in her own right, and the streak of melancholy which runs through her work strangely appeals to me. I admire Lizzie in a strange sort of way; some of her behaviour was frankly appalling, but I understand exactly why she did it and in those days women had to do whatever they could to ensure their survival. Lizzie was an individual when most women did as they were told; her work as an artist is incredible for someone who learnt so late in life and her poetry is just beautiful. It saddens me that more people don't know about her (perhaps that's another blog entry) but part of me is glad as well; it makes me feel like I know something the rest of the word doesn't.

Fifth, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Hillary is just so, so inspirational; it was her "women's rights are human rights" speech that first helped politicise me. She trained as a lawyer, was the first female partner in her law firm, and the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation. As both Governor's wife and First Lady, she campaigned tirelessly for the rights of women and children and worked incredibly hard behind the scenes. When the Monica Lewinsky scandal hit, Hillary was dignified throughout the whole thing and as Secretary of State she's the most powerful and influential woman in America. She hasn't always been right and I haven't always agreed with her methods, her beliefs or her actions, but when it comes down to it I think she's an outstandingly powerful advocate for what women can achieve.

My last heroine is a relatively new discovery for me. I picked up a book called 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' thinking it was a novel; turns out, it's a true story. Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman who died of cervical cancer in the early 1950's. Before her treatment, such as it was in those days, began, doctors took a sample of the cells from the cancer (without her knowledge or consent) and sent them to a lab in attempt to grow them. Henrietta sadly passed away; her cells, however, kept right on growing and multiplying and developing, and are still growing to this day. He-La, as the chain is known, was right there at the forefront of genetic and cell research; they were the first ever cells to stay alive in culture since research had begun a few decades earlier, and they haven't stopped since. Henrietta's cells were used to develop the polio vaccine; they have been part of the research into the genes which cause cancer and those which suppress it; they helped develop drugs to treat Parkinson’s, influenza, leukaemia...Henrietta Lacks is one of THE most important woman in medical history and yet hardly anyone knows about her. It was absolutely dreadful that the cells were taken without her consent, and heartbreaking that she died, but Henrietta Lacks is one of those women who need to be celebrated on 8th March. Her cells, and therefore part of Henrietta herself, live on...

There are of course other women that have inspired and moved me, but this is my core 'pantheon' and I will celebrate them on International Women's Day with pride and gratitude...

So come on, guys 'n' gals...who are YOUR inspirational women?