Ten Most Inspiring Women

Maria Corazon Aquino is widely known and loved as an icon of democracy in the Philippines. Her husband Ninoy was a vocal opponent of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and was assassinated in 1983 upon his return from exile. When Marcos called for snap elections in 1986, Corazon Aquino came forward as the unified opposition's presidential candidate, and later became the first female president of the country who served her seat until 1992.


Even at a young age, Oprah Winfrey knew she was made of bigger, better stuff than what the world handed to her. She was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother, and admitted to being raped at the age of 9 and giving birth to a son at 14 who died in infancy, Oprah rose above those challenges to ultimately work her way up to owning her own media network and was cited as the "richest self-made billionaire in America." Oprah believes that all women should "Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness."


The example set by Mother Teresa shows that no matter how humble your beginnings, you still have the capacity to help others less fortunate than you. After a life dedicated to charity and humanitarian work, she is regarded as one of the most selfless people to have ever lived, and her efforts were recognised in 1979 when she won the Nobel Peace Prize. However, one of the most admirable things about Mother Teresa is that she wasn’t doing it for the recognition – she spent nearly 30 years of her life helping others before anybody even knew who she was.


Stand up for what you believe in” is a great phrase to live by, and nobody did this more so than Joan of Arc. She campaigned for the instatement of the ‘true king’ to the French throne because she believed it was God’s will, and led the French armies in fighting their English invaders.


Norma Jean Baker, who later became ‘Marilyn Monroe,' made a hugely successful career out of her good looks and uncanny ability to understand what the world wanted to see. Despite her ditzy blonde image and demeanour, she knew exactly what she was doing and it’s no coincidence that she became as famous as she did. Not content to let leading men hog the spotlight, she took extensive acting lessons to improve herself, because in her opinion; “Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.”


Amelia Earhart’s is a story of both success and tragedy, full of adventuring and pioneering for women’s rights. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and was rewarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross for her efforts – again, she was the first woman to receive this. While other women were being held back by a male dominated society, Amelia was soaring through the clouds, breaking records, and having the time of her life


With 39 Grand Slam titles to her name and 6 separate spells as world number one, Billie Jean King is undoubtedly one of the greatest female tennis players to ever grace the game – however, it is her battle for equal rights for sporting women that she will be truly remembered for. In 1973 she took on and defeated self professed chauvinist Bobby Riggs in ‘The Battle of the Sexes’. A former world number one himself, Riggs’ defeat proved once and for all that women deserved both respect and equality in the world of sport.


Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling may be hugely successful today, but less than twenty years ago things were entirely different. In 1993, having separated from her husband, been diagnosed with clinical depression, contemplated suicide and having found herself jobless with a dependent child, Rowling saw herself as a failure. However, the writer found a determination to succeed – to create a better life for herself and her daughter – which spurred her on to finishing her first novel. Since then, her books have gone on to win multiple awards and been the basis for a series of hit movies.


Refusing to give up a seat on a bus may seem like a simple feat, but when Rosa Parks did it in 1955 it was nothing short of unheard of. As an African American, Parks was legally obliged to give up her seat at the request of a white person – something she simply wasn’t willing to do. The courage she showed in that instance sparked the civil rights movement in America, and her simple act of defiance changed the lives of millions of people.


Kelly Holmes’ was a career full of set-backs and challenges, but one that ultimately had a happy ending. After years of trying for Olympic gold, her last chance came at the 2004 Games – a chance that was almost taken away from her by a leg injury. Despite suffering severe depression as a result of this, Kelly was able to battle through the injury through sheer determination, and ended up going above and beyond her wildest dreams by winning double Olympic gold in the 800m and 1500m.