BRITISH ISLES Iconic Women for International Women's Day 2021

Iconic Women for
International Women’s Day 2021

Accessible plain text version of our Guernsey Map.
For social and cultural groups, see end of document.

BRITISH ISLES

1.   Baroness Hale – England

Nominated by Sarah Hutchinson

Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond (born 1945), was the first
female President of the UK’s Supreme Court and is a strong
proponent of the importance of women’s representation in public
life. “She has had a most distinguished career but has kept her
Yorkshire home close to her heart, participating in events to inspire
other women in the legal profession and more widely. Several of my
colleagues have been fortunate enough to have met her and
described her as a truly inspiring woman.”

2.   Flora MacDonald – Scotland

Nominated by Mabel Clooney

Flora MacDonald (1722 to 1790) was a Jacobite heroine who helped
Prince Charles evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden
in April 1746. “This might seem like a small thing, but the Jacobite
movement was strong and to be a female in that situation would
have taken more than just courage.” She was arrested and held in
the Tower of London but released under a general amnesty in June
1747.

3.   Betty Campbell – Wales

Nominated by Ruth Robinson

Betty Campbell (1934 to 2017) was born into poverty to Caribbean
parents in the docklands of Cardiff. Highly intelligent, she won a
scholarship to a prestigious girls’ school. She wanted to teach but
was told it was not a path for a poor black girl. Undaunted, she
qualified as a teacher and returned to the docklands to teach,
eventually becoming Wales’ first black headmistress. She sat on the
Commission for Racial Equality, helped develop Black History Month

and the Welsh curriculum, all while leading an outstanding
community school and raising four children of her own.

4.   Mary Robinson – Ireland

Nominated by Karen Power

Mary Robinson (born 1944) was the first female President of Ireland
and a change maker in what is traditionally a low-profile role. She
was forward thinking and openly challenged government policy that
did not serve the people. She went on to become the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights and did fantastic work for human
rights globally. She is an excellent speaker, inspiring, interesting, a
real role model. She is also a mother and grandmother whose family
are very important to her.

5.   Dame Sybil Hathaway - Bailiwick of Guernsey

Nominated by Diane Mitchell. All Guernsey nominations (link).

Dame Sybil Hathaway (1984 to 1974) ruled as Seigneur of Sark for
over 47 years. “She was formidable in a male-dominated
environment and expected to be treated with courtesy and respect
as should we all. I was fortunate to meet Dame Sybil when

completing my Duke of Edinburgh award in 1971. She was an
inspiration to a group of girls who were on the cusp of forging their
way in life.”

6.    Dr Nicola Brink – Guernsey Together

Nominated by numerous people!

Dr Nicola Brink, Guernsey’s Director of Public Health, was born in
South Africa where she became one of the first doctors to specialise
in virology. She moved to the UK in 1991 as clinical and senior
lecturer at University College Hospital, before arriving in Guernsey in
2003. She has achieved iconic status in the island for her expert
guidance through the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Her gentle, reassuring voice delivering good news, bad news, and
everything in between has reassured islanders and meant that we
have trusted her completely and followed the guidance in the spirit
of Guernsey Together.”

“She is a genuinely inspirational woman who has dedicated herself to
the service of others through her much less publicised work for
people living with HIV, and her passion for addressing health
inequalities.”

“I wouldn’t feel safe in anyone’s else’s hands. Thanking her so
much.”

7.   Sophia Goulden – Isle of Man

Nominated by Camilla Hobbs

Sophia Goulden (1833 – 1910) was the mother of Emmeline
Pankhurst and is credited with having a formative influence on her
daughter’s commitment to votes for women. Sophia took Emmeline,
then aged 14, to her first suffrage meeting after which she became a
confirmed suffragist. The speaker that day, Lydia Becker, played a
key role in the Isle of Man becoming in 1881 the first country in the
world to grant votes to women.

EUROPE

8.   Baba Vanga – Bulgaria

Nominated by Iordanka Georgieva

Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova (1911 to 1996), commonly known as
Baba Vanga, was a Bulgarian mystic, clairvoyant, and herbalist. Blind
since early childhood, she spent most of her life in the
Kozhuh mountains in Bulgaria. It is claimed that she correctly
predicted the rise of ISIS, Brexit and the 9/11 World Trade Centre
attacks.

9.   Martina Navratilova – Czech Republic

Nominated by Martina Lenfestey

Martina Navratilova (born 1956) is a Czechoslovak-born American
former professional tennis player and coach and is considered one of
the best female tennis players of all time. “She is a great and
inspirational sportswoman, supporter of women and gay rights, who
has overcome various adversities in her life.” Fellow tennis champion
Chris Evert said "Martina revolutionized the game by her superb

athleticism and aggressiveness ... She brought athleticism to a whole
new level with her training techniques”.

10. Simone Veil – France

Nominated by Sandrine Reynaud

Simone Veil (1927 to 2017), lawyer, politician and feminist, served as
Health Minister and was the first female President of the European
Parliament. A Holocaust survivor, she is recognised for the
legalisation of abortion and for improving the lives of women and the
condition of women. “She was certainly the strongest woman I ever
heard speak, but always courteous, very intelligent and human. She
embodies people who achieve things by quiet determination and
perseverance.”

11. Angela Merkel – Germany

Nominated by Stephanie Barnes and Anni Bisson

Angela Merkel (born 1954) has been Chancellor of Germany since
2005. A member of the Christian Democratic Union, Merkel is the
first female chancellor of Germany and the first chancellor since
reunification to have been raised in the former East Germany. She

has been widely described as the de facto leader of the European
Union, the most powerful woman in the world and by many
commentators since 2016 as the "leader of the free world".

12. Alki Zei - Greece

Nominated by Fay Pangiotakopoulou

Alki Zei (1925 to 2020) was a Greek novelist. Part of the Greek
resistance during WW2, she was jailed and then exiled during the
civil war that followed and was a political refugee during the
dictatorship in the 70s. Her books introduce the most important
parts of Greek modern history to children and adolescents, through
her fascinating narrative ability. Her work has been translated into
numerous languages and she has won prestigious awards. “A truly
magnificent woman who fought throughout her life for freedom,
social justice and democracy. As a child, I was lucky enough to meet
her and her charisma and incredible strength has inspired me
throughout my life.”

13. Emma Bonino – Italy

Nominated by Anna-Lisa Detassis

Emma Bonino (born 1948) is one of the few women in Italian politics
who has made a difference. She has been a minister, a European
Parliament member, and a Senator. She made history with the
Radical party, fighting for civil rights and individual liberty, divorce,
legalisation of abortion and drugs. A philanthropist, she has won
several awards. “A true innovator and adventurer in a male-
dominated world.”

14. Vaira-Vike Freiburga - Latvia

Nominated by Evita Bormane and Inga Platkevicha

Vaira Vike-Freiberga (born 1937) served as the sixth President of
Latvia from 1999 to 2007 and is the first woman to hold the post. A
Professor in psycholinguistics and semiotics, she has published 11
books and numerous articles. She played a big part in achieving
Latvia’s membership of the EU and NATO. An inspirational leader,
she has always fought for equality of women and social justice.

15. Dalia Grybauskeite – Lithuania

Nominated by Goda Griskeviciute

Dalia Grybauskaitė, born in 1956 to a working-class family in Vilnius,
was President of Lithuania from 2009 to 2019. The first woman to
hold the position, she was also the first President to be re-elected for
a second consecutive term. She served as European Commissioner
for Financial Programming from 2004 to 2009 and is often referred
to as the "Iron Lady" or the "Steel Magnolia".

16. Fanny Blankers-Koen – Netherlands

Nominated by Grade Hek

Fanny Blankers-Koen (1918 to 2004) was a Dutch track and field
athlete, best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 London
Olympics. Competing as a 30-year-old mother of two, she was the
most successful athlete at the event. In 1999, she was voted "Female
Athlete of the Century" by the IAAF. Her Olympic victories helped to
eliminate the belief that age and motherhood were barriers to
success in women's sport.

17. Camilla Colbert – Norway

Nominated by Linda Johansen

Jacobine Camilla Collett (1813 to 1895) was a writer, often referred
to as the first Norwegian feminist. The younger sister of poet Henrik
Wergeland, she is recognized as an early contributor to realism in
Norwegian literature and wrote the first novel to deal critically with
the position of women. The older Collett got, the more radical her
views became and she published a series of anonymous articles
supporting social and political change to further women's roles.

18. Marie Sklodowska Curie – Poland

Nominated by Agnieszka Stanska

Marie Sklodowska Curie (1867 to 1934) was the first women to win a
Nobel Prize, the first and only one to win it twice, and in two
scientific fields. The hurdles she had to overcome are equally
admirable, emigrating to France because women could not go to
university in Poland, juggling childcare and career, and struggling for
recognition in the male-dominated French scientific community. She
remains an inspiration today in the struggle for equality of
opportunity, responsibilty and reward for men and women.

19. Queen Isabel – Portugal

Nominated by Isabel de Menezes

Elizabeth of Aragon (1271 to 1336), known as Saint Elizabeth of
Portugal, married King Denis in 1281. She was deeply religious and
devoted to the poor and sick. She also took an active interest in
Portuguese politics and diplomacy, becoming known as the
peacemaker. Legend holds that in 1323, mounted on a mule, she
positioned herself between opposing armies on the field of Alvalade
to prevent the combat.

20. Valentina Tereshkova – Russia

Nominated by Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller

Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937) is a member of the Russian State
Duma, engineer, and former cosmonaut. She is the first and
youngest woman to have flown in space with a solo mission on the
Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963, orbiting the Earth 48 times and spending
almost three days in space. She showed that women could do what
was then regarded as the most state of the art, most demanding feat
– going into space, solo.

21. Zuzana Čaputová – Slovakia

Nominated by Daniela DeVon and Jana Martin

Zuzana Čaputová, (born 1973), politician, lawyer, and environmental
activist, is the first woman President of Slovakia and also the
youngest. “She is a proper honourable role model for me and many
others. She speaks truth to power, works to undermine corruption,
appeals to collaborate with other nations to help those that cannot
help themselves. She is smart, wise and compassionate, giving hope
to those who believe that politicians can be honest and serve the
people.”

22. Lourdes Garcia-Cano Luna – Spain

Nominated by Petra Palmieri

Lourdes Garcia-Cano Luna, sister of Guernsey GP, Petra Palmeri, is a
front-line A&E doctor in Cordoba (Andalucia), as well as an intensive
care ambulance doctor. The global coronavirus pandemic has
rightfully put more of a spotlight on medical staff who, day-in and
day-out put other people’s health needs ahead of their own. Lourdes
has worked non-stop through this health crisis, saving lives and often
having to work without PPE.

23. Astrid Lindgren – Sweden

Nominated by Henrik Asplund and Linda Boucher-Harris

Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), is the iconic author of more than 70
children’s books including the Pippi Longstocking series . “Albeit not
a politician, Astrid was prepared to make her voice heard in the
political world and society in general, primarily when it came to
children’s (and animals’) rights but also to challenge the tax regime.
And her voice was heard. A woman way ahead of her time!”

24. Lesya Ukraika – Ukraine

Nominated by Alina Bendel

A great poet, writer, activist, and interpreter. Lesya (1871 to 1913)
devoted 30 years of her life to literature. Fighting tuberculosis her
entire youth, she epitomises female heroism and strength. Being
bedridden, courage was the main motive behind her words, thus
inspiring millions of people to listen to their hearts and be brave. She
was also engaged in folklore studies and played an active role in the
Ukranian national movement.

REST OF WORLD

25. Alicia Moreau de Justo – Argentina

Nominated by Maria Enevoldsen

Alicia Moreau de Justo (1885 to 1986) was a woman ahead of her
time. She qualified as a doctor in 1914 and became a leading figure
of feminism, defending the rights of women in the workplace, their
access to public health and education. In 1932 she drafted the first
parliamentary bill to give women the right to vote and in 1975 co-
founded a human rights organisation which campaigned against the
abuses of the military dictatorship.

26. Julia Gillard – Australia

Nominated by Tanya Richards-Pugh and Andrea Harris

Julia Gillard (born 1961) is the first and only woman to hold the
positions of Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister and leader of a
major party in Australia. She served as the country’s 27th Prime
Minister from 2010 until 2013. Since leaving politics, her
appointments include Inaugural Chair of the Global Institute for

Women’s Leadership at Kings College, London. Through research,
practice and advocacy, GIWL addresses women’s under-
representation in leadership, and the way gender negatively impacts
the valuation of women leaders.

27. Isabel, Princess Imperial - Brazil

Nominated by Silvia Varela Richards

The most famous Brazilian woman in history, Princess Isabel (1846 to
1921) was made Regent in her father’s absence. She passed
legislation to abolish slavery, confronting rich and influential people,
which led to the end of the monarchy in Brazil. She said it had been
worth it to abolish slavery. As a woman she was deemed unsuitable
to rule. She did it anyway while coping with several miscarriages and
bringing up her disabled son.

28. Margaret Atwood – Canada

Nominated by Karen Kristian

Margaret Atwood (born 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary
critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Her
works include themes such as gender and identity, religion and myth

and power politics. “She has wit, grace and humour, and writes
visionary literature, from her early works to the later Handmaid's
Tale and Oryx and Crake. She has her finger on the pulse of society
here and now and shares her insight through several different
mediums reaching wide audiences.”

29. Maria Teresa Ruiz – Chile

Nominated by Maria Jose (Joey) Freeman

Maria Teresa Ruiz (born 1946) is a Chilean astronomer. The first
woman to receive Chile's National Prize for Exact Sciences, the first
female doctor in astrophysics at Princeton, and the first woman
president of the Chilean Academy of Sciences, she was listed in 2018
in the top 10 most powerful and influential women in Chile. She was
inspired by her grandmother who told her ‘Don’t let anyone tell you
that you can’t do something because you are a woman’.

30. Peng Liyuan – China

Nominated by Dongling Lin

Peng Liyuan (born 1962) is a Chinese contemporary folk singer
married to Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China. In

2014, Peng was listed as the 57th most powerful woman in the world
by Forbes. She promotes rural education in China and campaigns for
the World Health Organization against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. In
2014 she was appointed UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement
of Girls' and Women's Education.

31. Cleopatra – Egypt

Nominated by Nana Awad

Cleopatra VII ruled ancient Egypt as for almost three decades,
protecting it against the expansion of the Roman Empire until her
death. Well-educated and clever, Cleopatra could speak up to nine
languages. Her romantic liaisons and military alliances with the
Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, as well as her
supposed exotic beauty and powers of seduction, earned her an
enduring place in history and popular myth.

32. Taytu Betul – Ethiopia

Nominated by Teshale Gobena

Taytu Betul (c.1851–1918), was a formidable queen and empress of
Ethiopia. The third wife of Emperor Menelik II, she founded

Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa. She used her exceptional
intelligence to strengthen and extend her power through an adroit
blend of patronage, political marriages and leadership. Determined
to resist imperialist designs on her country, she opposed any
negotiations that would result in the loss of Ethiopian territory.
When diplomacy gave way to war, she rode out at the head of her
own army.

33. Padmavathy Bandopadhyay – India

Nominated by Naga Lakshmi Nandiboyina

Dr Padmavathy Bandopadhyay (born 1944) was India’s first female
Air Marshal, the first Indian woman to conduct scientific research in
the Arctic, and the first female aviation medicine specialist in the
armed forces. Hailing from a middle- class Brahmin family, and caring
for her sick mother from an early age, it wasn’t easy for her to break
the glass ceiling. Today she educates underprivileged children.
“Thanks to her there is less of a problem in gender.”

34. Maryam Mirzakhani – Iran

Nominated by Ghazaleh Maunder

Maryam Mirzakhani (1977 to 2017) was a professor of mathematics
at Stanford University and the first woman and the first Iranian to be
awarded the Fields Medal, the award for outstanding discoveries in
mathematics - often referred to as the maths equivalent of the Nobel
Prize. The award cited ‘her outstanding contributions to the
dynamics and geometry of Rimann surfaces and their moduli space.’
She died in 2017 after battling breast cancer.

35. Nanny of the Maroons – Jamaica

Nominated by Ash Smith

Nanny of the Maroons (c. 1686 to. 1755) was an 18th-century leader
of the formerly enslaved Africans called the Windward Maroons who
fought a guerrilla war over many years against British authorities in
the colony of Jamaica. A small, wiry woman with piercing eyes, she
led her people with courage, inspiring them to struggle to maintain
the spirit of freedom, and life of independence, which was their
rightful inheritance.

36. Mao Asada – Japan

Nominated by Naoko Imaizumi Mauger

Mao Asada (born 1990) is a former competitive figure skater, widely
considered to be one of the best ladies figure skaters of all time. She
is the 2010 Olympic silver medallist and a three-time World
champion. Due to her artistic interpretation, international success
since the young age of 15, rare ability to accomplish the triple Axel,
and collection of titles, she has established herself as one of the most
recognised athletes in Japan.

37. Wangari Maathai – Kenya

Nominated by Cathy Wanyoike

Wangari Maathai (1940 to 2011) was the first African woman to
receive the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 2004. She was an MP and
founded the Green Belt Movement for tree planting, conservation,
and women's rights. The Nobel committee said, ‘Maathai stood up
courageously against the former oppressive regime in Kenya. She has
served as inspiration for many in the fight for democratic rights and
has especially encouraged women to better their situation.’

38. Amal Clooney – Lebanon

Nominated by Christine Potter

Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin in 1978) is a Lebanese-born British
barrister, specialising in international law and human rights. “She is
inspirational for her multi-lingual skills and international experience
(a true Lebanese!), her career as a human right lawyer and
particularly her fight for the recognition of the Armenian genocide in
WW1.” With her husband George she founded the Clooney
Foundation for Justice to advance justice in courtrooms,
communities, and classrooms around the world.

39. Phaik Gan Lim – Malaysia

Nominated by Sean Cheong

Phaik Gan Lim or PG Lim (1915 to 2013), was a Cambridge-educated
Malaysian and a leading human rights lawyer and an advocate for
union rights, playing a key role in several landmark legal cases. The
country’s first female diplomat, she was the Ambassador to
Yugoslavia, Austria, Belgium, and the EEC. Best known as a fearless
fighter for social justice and a champion of women’s causes, her
contributions shaped the future of a young nation in its early post-
independence journey. Hers was truly a life of purpose.

40. Salma Hayek – Mexico

Nominated by Edith de la Cruz

Salma Hayek (born 1966) inspires me not only because she is a
successful actress, producer and activist but also for the obstacles
she has overcome to get where she is. She has leveraged her success
to fight for equal rights and draw attention to issues such as violence
against women, particularly in Latin America where many females
still do not have a voice. Finally, I admire that she has never
forgotten her Mexican roots, and despite her success is still down to
earth, and authentic.

41. Jacinda Ardern – New Zealand

Nominated by Martin Lock

Jacinda Ardern (born 1980) has served as prime minister of New
Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. In 2019, she led
the country through the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque
shootings, rapidly introducing strict gun laws in response, and
throughout 2020 she directed the country's widely praised response

to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘An inspiring Prime Minister who brought
a nation together with true leadership, empathy and compassion.’

42. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – Nigeria

Nominated by Ostao Agbotean Olatunji

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (born 1958) is the first woman and the first
African to be appointed as Director General at the World Trade
Organisation (WTO). She also served two terms as the first female
finance minister of Nigeria. On her first day at the WTO, 1 March
2021, she called for a “technology transfer” to developing countries
when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines and for a deal to reduce
overfishing. “We have to change our approach from debate and
rounds of questions to delivering results,” she said.

43. Mariana Costa Checa – Peru

Nominated by Sandra Truelove

Mariana Costa Checa (born 1986) is the co-founder and CEO at
Laboratoria, a social impact startup that is transforming Latin
America’s tech sector into an example of diversity and inclusion by
preparing thousands of women to launch careers in tech. With

training centres in Peru, Chile, Mexico and Brazil, Laboratoria is
redefining how to prepare underserved women for the jobs of the
future. Mariana was named one of Peru’s leading innovators under
35 by the MIT and one of the world’s most influential women by the
BBC.

44. Angel Locsin – the Phillippines

Nominated by Hancyl Maglines

Angel Locsin (born 1985) is a TV and film actor, commercial model,
film producer and fashion designer. One of the Philippines' most
prominent philanthropist actors, she was named as one of Forbes
magazine's "Asian Heroes of Philanthropy" in 2019. Forbes reported
that Locsin had donated "as much as 15 million pesos to causes such
as educational scholarships for students, supporting the economic
and political rights of indigenous people, and ending violence against
women and children".

45. Miriam Makeba – South Africa

Nominated by Christine James

Zenzile Miriam Makeba (1932 to 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was
a South African singer, songwriter, actress, United Nations goodwill
ambassador, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres
including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she was an advocate
against apartheid and white-minority government in South Africa. In
2020 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 women of the
century.

46. Gertrude Mongella – Tanzania

Nominated by Agnes Manyama

Gertrude Mongella, (born 1945) is an educator, a defender of
women rights, a politician and diplomat. In 1995, as a diplomat to
the UN, she led the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing,
contributing significantly to its success. It was a world first that
important decisions at this level were taken by a forum comprised
almost wholly of women. Patience, tenacity, respect for one
another's opinions and simplicity were the key features of this
diplomacy, all attributes that she embodied.

47. Winnie Byanyima – Uganda

Nominated by Rosette Nganwa

Winnie Byanyima (born 1959) is an aeronautical engineer, politician,
and a leader on women’s rights, democratic governance, and
peacebuilding. She is executive director of UNAIDS (the United
Nations HIV/AIDS programme) and has served on several global
forums, including chairing the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos,
where she pressed for action to narrow the gap between rich and
poor. She says, “Without women’s equal access to positions of
decision-making power and a clear process to get there, gender
equality, global security, and peace will never be realised.”

48. Ruth Bader Ginsburg – United States

Nominated by Jennifer Strachan

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933 to 2020) inspired generations with her
efforts to make the US legal system fairer to all, particularly women.
Looking back at the laws she helped overturn it is unbelievable how
differently men and women were treated and how much has
changed, often due to her clear legal arguments. Ginsburg was
rewarded with a seat on the Supreme Court and was an effective and

inspiring judge until she passed away. In her late 80's her clear logic
and sense of purpose inspired a new generation of youth.

49. Fadzayi Mahere – Zimbabwe

Nominated by Avril Pasirai Dengura

Advocate Fadzayi Mahere (born 1985) is an inspirational and
trailblazing lawyer, politician, and human rights activist. The
spokesperson for Zimbabwe's main opposition party, MDC Alliance,
she was among those arrested for taking part in Zimbabwe protests
in 2020, accusing the government of corruption, human rights abuse
and misgovernance. Despite the arrests and political intimidation
Advocate Mahere continues to speak out for human rights and the
rights of disadvantaged citizens in Zimbabwe.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GROUPS

Africa
Guernsey Simba Ngoma or message Cathy on 07839 708726.

Australia/New Zealand
ANZACs in Guernsey

France
French social group hosted by Angela Fauci. Email
fauci22@hotmail.com.

Ireland
The Guernsey Irish Association and The Irish Society Guernsey

Japan
Musubi Guernsey

Latin America
La Pena Latina. Contact Maria Jose on mjose.fernandezj@gmail.com

Latvia
Latvians in Guernsey and Guernsey Latvian Association

Portugal
Comunidade Portuguesa em Guernsey