Your Magnificent Heroines!

Edition three of 'Magnificent Me' coincides this month with International Women’s Day – and not just any International Women’s Day, but the 99th anniversary of this special day, first observed across the United States in 1909 and now a globally-recognised day for the recognition and celebration of women's achievements. 

The aim of that first International Women’s Day was to honour the women’s rights movement and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women – including the right to work, vote, be trained and hold public office and to end discrimination.  The day is now fêted with special events the world over and is even a designated public holiday in Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam!

In the same spirit of recognition and celebration, we asked you, our readers, to tell us in edition 2's survey all about your heroines: the special women that inspire you in your lives.  One of the joys of reading the answers to these surveys is the insight it gives us into who you are and how you think.  Your responses simply affirmed what an intelligent, insightful, well-read, passionate and wonderfully varied set of women you are!

Heroines are a vital part of all of our psychological make-up – touchstones, whose attributes and achievements encourage us to aim ever higher in our own lives.

So, just who are your heroines?  Who are the figures from politics, history, literature, music, the arts or your own immediate worlds, who provide that light in the dark? 

The answers ranged from Queen Elizabeth I to Enid Blyton, from Mother Theresa to Debbie Harry, from Ella Fitzgerald to Barbara Castle – via Delia Smith, Georgia O'Keefe, Jane Austen, Joan of Arc and your own mothers, on whom some of the most touching words were written, showing how often the greatest role models come from our everyday worlds.

What struck us most about all the heroines you cited were the adjectives you used to describe them.  Again and again the same words came up – 'courageous', 'brave' and 'unafraid' in particular – but also 'resourceful, determined, intelligent, passionate, proud, independent, principled, loyal, defiant, trustworthy, spiritual, soulful, tough, uncompromising, cool, stylish, funny, self-deprecating, authoritative, disciplined, glamorous, beautiful, untamed, talented, witty, shrewd, original, elegant, visionary, charming and steadfast. ...'

From history, Joan of Arc was the dominant figure – for being ‘brave and trusting her inner voice’ and for ‘fighting and succeeding in a man’s world’.  Another iconic figure, an enigma speculated endlessly over by dramatists and film-makers, was Queen Elizabeth I of England, cited for ‘succeeding in a man’s world, encouraging adventurers, explorers and pirates to discover and conquer the world and bravely putting her country before her private desires.’

One reader told us of Juana La Loca of Castille and Katherine of Aragorn – ‘two sisters who were both intelligent and passionate women who received from their parents, Isabella and Ferdinand, an excellent education.  They were both proud, independent and principled women; they were both capable of passionate love and unshakeable loyalty.  They were both the victims of male ‘politicking’, exploitation and treachery.  They both spent many years of their lives in virtual or actual imprisonment but remained defiant.’

Mother Theresa represented your spiritual aspirations, as did Mary, Mother of Jesus, who ‘was courageous (and needed to be) in every phase of her life – as a maiden, as a mother and as a crone.’

From the world of politics came Claire Fox of the IoD (‘the only intelligent, trustworthy voice in politics at this moment in time’), the Greenham Common women (‘who taught me that anyone can effect change – if they just believe enough’), German-Jewish revolutionary Rosa Luxembourg and grandes dames from opposite poles of British politics, Barbara Castle and Margaret Thatcher – the former for ‘not being afraid to speak her mind’ and the latter?  ‘Because love her or loathe her – and I err towards the latter view – she was an indomitable force in British politics’.  Well, kind of a heroine then…maybe...

The modern era of British government was represented by Oona King – ‘I can’t remember another female politican who seemed so much '‘one of us'' , ’ one reader opined.

Frida Kahlo topped the poll of favourite artists, closely followed by Georgia O’Keefe.  Design was represented by Lucienne Day, whilst Coco Chanel and Zandra Rhodes struck home for fashion.

Another fashion high-achiever scored well in your heroines from the world of commerce: Barbara Hulanicki, the gloriously stylish inventor of your favourite ever shop – Biba.  But there was no real contest for the number one spot for your business heroine, the sadly late figure of Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop.  She was cited for her ethics as well as for her ‘vision, foresight, guts and bloody-minded determination to get her way.  And for fighting for people’s rights in developing countries; for initiating ‘Fair Trade’ before it was even started and for opening up our eyes to consumer power and how countries, people and animals were being exploited in the name of fashion and cosmetics.’  Viva Biba and Viva Anita!

Up on the silver screen, you voted for Lauren Bacall (‘style incarnate’); Judi Dench (‘for her discipline, range, self-deprecating humour and quiet authority’), Catherine Deneuve (‘integrity that never wavered’) and Faye Dunaway (‘the epitome of cool and style’), but the top spot went to Susan Sarandon, for being ‘funny’, ‘speaking her mind about politics’ and simply because you ‘love her’!  And why not!

Literature brought out some of your most eloquent adoration, showing how deeply the written word affects us and stays with us throughout our lives.  Some heroines were remembered from childhood, including E Nesbit, Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton (‘because she made me believe in fairies, far-away trees and endless possibilities’).

Author of 'A Vindication of the rights of woman', Mary Wollstonecraft featured – for being ‘an early feminist, a great believer in love, albeit in a non-conformist way and for being the mother of Mary Shelley.’  Tragic genius Emily Brontë was amongst those you voted for, as was Jane Austen (‘for her wit and shrewd observation of the human race’) and Eudora Welty, praised for her ‘beautifully economic prose’.

JK Rowling earnt points for ‘quietly revolutionising young people’s reading habits’, but it was poetry that really won the day, with votes for Ann Sexton and above all for the most voted-for heroine of the arts, Emily Dickinson, who was ‘brave, resourceful, determined, incisively intelligent and totally passionate about her poetry.  When she saw that the male literary establishment had no understand of her work, she refused to compromise and simply continued to dedicate herself to her art.’  Another reader called her ‘THE poet of the nineteenth century – totally original and many decades ahead of her time.’

Your musical heroines ranged wide – from Bessie Smith and Ella Fitzgerald to Carole King and Tina Turner.  1980s icons Debbie Harry, Madonna, Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde were particular favourites – with even Banarama putting in an appearance!

My favourite off-the-wall vote for all-time heroine was a lady whose works are in many of our homes, unsung but relied upon – dear old Delia Smith.  And here are the reasons!  ‘Because she’s just such a fab person, who makes everyone feel special, regardless; a skill which is often overlooked.  Because she taught a nation how to cook.   Because she’s a demon workhorse, because she’s utterly modest and praises those around her continuously.  Because she’s charming and, importantly, not afraid to admit when she’s wrong, because she’s triumphed over adversity.  Because she’s fucking funny, caring, tough, passionate and adorable.  Because she went on the pitch to ask Norwich City fans where our 12th man was – ‘Let’s be having you!’  Because SHE CARES!’

And as March celebrations included not only International Women’s Day, but Mother's Day too, let’s end on the most popular figure in the whole survey – your mothers.  Here are our three favourite matriarchal eulogies to end on…

‘My mother is the person I think about when I need to remind myself that much that is good, creating and caring goes on quietly and without fuss.  Selflessness is not a 21st century virtue and we tend to see the self-effacing as dull – or miss them altogether!  My mother reminds me of the one-sidedness of this.  She is that slightly old-fashioned creature – “a good woman”!’

‘My mum was an angel who walked amongst us.  A truly heaven-sent human individual who had more love, perception and compassion in her than anyone else I have ever met.’

‘She is brave, steadfast, level-headed and loyal.  She has always been a good friend to her friends, to me and to my daughters.  She has planned her life to live where she wanted to live and did what she had to do to make it happen.  She has turned her hand, with exceptional skill, to many varied careers from university lecturer to painting framer and dealer to museum curator (the latter of which she was awarded an MBE for and won national acclaim for the museum – all voluntarily).  Mum will always be on hand when we need her and is good company at any time.  I feel privileged to be her daughter!’