Who runs the world? Girls. Right Beyoncé? Sometimes it can be hard to find female role models in the body shaming, sexist, ignorant mess that makes up the majority of our media. Have you ever noticed how men stripping down are praised while women are shamed? Have you ever read through the screeds of nasty comments any time a brand dares to use a plus sized model? Have you ever seen women rolling their eyes on the red carpet because they want to be asked more than "What are you wearing?". There's not a lack of great female role models, there's just a lack of them being shown in the media. So today I'm going to write about a few of my female role models - from Nobel Prize winners, to girl crushes, to survivors. So let's get started...
I've loved Michelle since I first seen a video of her talking about the importance of education for women. She's confident, she's brainy, and she talks about important issues - like childhood obesity and education. No one can deny she has worked hard to get to where she is today. Obama once said: "Some may dispute the quality of our president, but nobody disputes the quality of our first lady. Michelle is definitely a star in her own right. If I look half as good at 52 as Michelle looks, I'll be happy (and amazed).
Yes, Audrey Hepburn was famous for her beauty and her acting career. Most people don't know much more about her, despite her being a household name. It's a perfect example of how the media always focuses on the physical appearance of a women. Well, let me get started.
Audrey Hepburn was a beautiful woman and had a successful acting career (Breakfast at Tiffany's anyone?). She grew up in Holland during the war and faced starvation when the Nazi's cut off the food supply. It's said that she sometimes skipped her dancing lessons because she was so weak and malnourished. It's well known that Audrey Hepburn liked ballet, but less known that she performed ballet during WWII and donated her earnings to the resistance. She also acted as a courier and took messages between resistance groups - even though her parents were Nazi sympathisers.
Later in life she was appointed a special ambassador to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and dedicated the last years of her life working for UNICEF to help children in need around the world. If all that isn't enough, she is also an EGOT, which means she has one an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Sometimes we need help, sometimes we need to help. Audrey's commitment to helping others makes her a role model for everyone.
Marina Diamandis
"I found what I'd been looking for in myself"
"I know exactly what I want and who I want to be"
If you haven't heard of Malala you must be living under a rock. She is the youngest ever to win a Nobel Peace prize, at age 17. It is said that Malala started speaking about education rights at the age of 11. She speaks three different languages, all of them fluent. Malala has literally been shot in the head, survived, and continued her fight for education. She also blogged for the BBC under a pseudonym, risking her life. I could keep listing what makes Malala not only an amazing role model, but an amazing women. She proves that any of us has it in us to make a change, and that we should always stand up for what is right. If you haven't yet read "I Am Malala", I do recommend it.
Emilia was named "Sexiest Women Alive" for 2015 by Esquire magazine, so it's safe to say she's considered a beauty. Yet anyone who follows her instagram can see that she isn't afraid of posting goofy photos and poking fun at herself. In a world where girls are growing up exposed to countless filtered, touched up, "perfected" photos I think this is a big deal. Emilia shows that you don't need to be what is considered "perfection" to be beautiful - or named "sexiest women alive".
I must admit, I'd never heard of Eva Schloss until I attended her talk at my local library. My mum phoned home one Monday afternoon informing me that she had got me tickets to a woman talking in the library that night. A woman whom was Anne Frank's stepsister and had survived the concentration camps.
Eva's talk was heartbreaking and inspiring. She went through hell, as many others did in the camps, and she survived. Not only has she survived, but she has grown. The confident, smiling, strong women I seen before me seemed miles away from the girl she spoke of. Yet, it was her.
There is something she said that really stuck with me. She commented on a famous quote by Anne Frank: "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart". It's a quote I personally love. Eva stated that if Anne had wrote her diary after experiencing the concentration camps, then she wouldn't have wrote that. It broke my heart. Even after listening to her story, or reading her book, there is no way I can picture or imagine the horrors she and many others went through. Yet she survived, and she uses her voice to help others.
Eva told us of how she was soon travelling to America to talk about the current refugee crisis, as she was too a refugee as a child. Eva is the author of several books, the most well known being "Eva's Story". It tells the tale of her childhood during WWII and her experience of the concentration camps. It is again a heartbreaking tale, but I definitely recommend it.
There are countless women out there who are great to look up to. Whether it's Beyoncé balancing her busy career and family life, Rihanna setting up her global scholarship fund or Ellen proving that women can do comedy and rule at it, there is someone for everyone. Look to who inspires you, who makes you strive to be better, who you can relate with. We all need role models in our life. These six women just happen to be some of mine.
Quotes sourced from Goodreads
Pictures are sourced from google images - they were linked but they kept on breaking!
"...don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own."
I've loved Michelle since I first seen a video of her talking about the importance of education for women. She's confident, she's brainy, and she talks about important issues - like childhood obesity and education. No one can deny she has worked hard to get to where she is today. Obama once said: "Some may dispute the quality of our president, but nobody disputes the quality of our first lady. Michelle is definitely a star in her own right. If I look half as good at 52 as Michelle looks, I'll be happy (and amazed).
"I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong."
Yes, Audrey Hepburn was famous for her beauty and her acting career. Most people don't know much more about her, despite her being a household name. It's a perfect example of how the media always focuses on the physical appearance of a women. Well, let me get started.
Audrey Hepburn was a beautiful woman and had a successful acting career (Breakfast at Tiffany's anyone?). She grew up in Holland during the war and faced starvation when the Nazi's cut off the food supply. It's said that she sometimes skipped her dancing lessons because she was so weak and malnourished. It's well known that Audrey Hepburn liked ballet, but less known that she performed ballet during WWII and donated her earnings to the resistance. She also acted as a courier and took messages between resistance groups - even though her parents were Nazi sympathisers.
Later in life she was appointed a special ambassador to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and dedicated the last years of her life working for UNICEF to help children in need around the world. If all that isn't enough, she is also an EGOT, which means she has one an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Sometimes we need help, sometimes we need to help. Audrey's commitment to helping others makes her a role model for everyone.
Marina Diamandis
"I found what I'd been looking for in myself"
"People like to tell you what you're gonna be
It's not my problem if you don't see what I see
And I do not give a damn if you don't believe"
"I am never gonna give you anything you expect"
"I know exactly what I want and who I want to be"
"The lower I get the higher I'll climb
And I will wonder why
I got dark only to shine"
"If history could set you free from who you were supposed to be"
What's all that? Oh, just a collection of my favourite, feel good, inspiring lyrics from the talented Marina Diamandis (known by her stage name, Marina and the Diamonds). I love Marina's music and voice. I've seen her live twice and can say she sounds just as good in person whilst putting on a great show.
I may not have seen many interviews of Marina talking about "serious" issues, but what better way for a singer to "talk" about issues than through her music? She tried hard to make a music career for herself. After trying and dropping out of various schools and universities, she started composing her own music and learned the piano. She also self-composed and produced her earliest music on websites like GarageBand and MySpace (remember them?). Her strong, relatable lyrics and musical talent is what inspires me.
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
"Woman? Is that meant to insult me? I would return the slap, if I took you for a man."
Okay, you got me. That quote wasn't Emilia, but Daenerys - a character she portrays.
You may be reading this and thinking "Emilia Clarke? What has she done?". Emilia Clarke is a pretty new celebrity, famous for her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones (a series I'm obsessed with by the way). Her personal life seems to be kept personal (which I totally respect). So why am I inspired by Emilia?
She's also one of the only women I've ever seen on TV or in the media with a body type somewhat close to my own, and that makes me feel good. There are many things I hate about my body. The media is plastered with tall, slim women sporting the golden tan and curvaceous waist to hip ratio I'll never have no matter how much I exercise (thank you bone structure). I celebrate whenever I see other types of beauty being shown in the media, but it's great when it's someone I can relate to myself. I think we all need this kind of role model, and it doesn't hurt that Emilia also seems a super friendly and fun person too. She's my girl crush.
I must admit, I'd never heard of Eva Schloss until I attended her talk at my local library. My mum phoned home one Monday afternoon informing me that she had got me tickets to a woman talking in the library that night. A woman whom was Anne Frank's stepsister and had survived the concentration camps.
Eva's talk was heartbreaking and inspiring. She went through hell, as many others did in the camps, and she survived. Not only has she survived, but she has grown. The confident, smiling, strong women I seen before me seemed miles away from the girl she spoke of. Yet, it was her.
There is something she said that really stuck with me. She commented on a famous quote by Anne Frank: "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart". It's a quote I personally love. Eva stated that if Anne had wrote her diary after experiencing the concentration camps, then she wouldn't have wrote that. It broke my heart. Even after listening to her story, or reading her book, there is no way I can picture or imagine the horrors she and many others went through. Yet she survived, and she uses her voice to help others.
Eva told us of how she was soon travelling to America to talk about the current refugee crisis, as she was too a refugee as a child. Eva is the author of several books, the most well known being "Eva's Story". It tells the tale of her childhood during WWII and her experience of the concentration camps. It is again a heartbreaking tale, but I definitely recommend it.
There are countless women out there who are great to look up to. Whether it's Beyoncé balancing her busy career and family life, Rihanna setting up her global scholarship fund or Ellen proving that women can do comedy and rule at it, there is someone for everyone. Look to who inspires you, who makes you strive to be better, who you can relate with. We all need role models in our life. These six women just happen to be some of mine.
Quotes sourced from Goodreads
Pictures are sourced from google images - they were linked but they kept on breaking!
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