It’s that terrible time of year again. Time to struggle to find all of your lecture notes (if you made any) and crack on with some hardcore revision. It can seem tough at times and all of us have had those moments when giving up seems like a desirable option.
To ease these thoughts take a look at these ten women from the entertainment industry, science, politics and literature to give you an inspiration boost!
1. Marie Curie
The Polish physicist and chemist was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in 1903, first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris and the first to win a Nobel Prize in multiple sciences. Her theory of radioactivity was groundbreaking in the her field and her research eventually claimed her life when she got aplastic anaemia due to exposure to radiation. The extent of her scientific achievements was huge considering women weren’t even allowed to vote at the time.
2. Simone de Beauvoir
One of the leading women in philosophy during the 20th century, Simone de Beauvoir had a huge impact on feminist philosophy. Her most well known work is The Second Sex which suggests that women are not born a woman, they become one and that this construction is central to women’s oppression. This work has influenced many modern feminists and is still highly influential today.
3. Eleanor Roosevelt
The longest serving First Lady of the United States during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s terms in office, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the greatest women involved with human rights. Taking an interest in politics early on, Eleanor often gave speeches and held conferences in her husbands place due to his partial paralysis from Polio. After his death she remained in the public sphere, becoming highly involved in the UN in which she was involved in drafting the Universal Delegation of Human Rights.
4. Beyoncé
Seen as one of the most popular and influential performer of the 21st century, Beyoncé is a modern day woman that we can all be greatly inspired by. He albums have sold millions, her shows sell out in minutes, she is truly a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. After taking control of her own management in 2011, she has achieved perhaps even greater success, and has recently been included in Times 100 Most Influential People of 2014. All of this alongside her songs about female empowerment, Beyoncé is truly a great modern day role model.
5. Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood is one of the most well known modern day female authors, giving women a voice in the sci-fi genre. She has won numerous literary awards, alongside being nominated for the Booker Prize on multiple occasions. She founded the Writer’s Trust of Canada. As well as her literary achievements, Atwood is heavily involved in environmental politics.
6. Hilary Clinton
The second First Lady on the list is Hillary Clinton, wife to Bill Clinton. After her husbands presidency, Clinton went on to become heavily involved in the Democratic party in the USA, serving as Secretary of State to Barack Obama from 2009 – 2013 and previous to that she was a leading candidate for presidency in 2008. During her career she has actively encouraged the empowerment of women and is certainly one of the most influential women politicians of the 21st century.
7. Kathryn Bigelow
In the world of filmmaking women are not massively involved, and if they are they are hardly recognised. This is why Kathyrn Bigelow is one of the most influential women in filmmaking. She has directed seven feature films including Point Break, The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. She is the first woman to win Best Director at the Academy Awards, which is shocking considering that was only in 2009.
8. Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy, a Scottish poet is the first woman and openly LGBT poet laureate. She is professor of Contemporary Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University and is famous for her collections of poetry based on love, life experiences and the experience of others. Her poetry is very female based and are very influential for many budding female poets.
9. Dame Judi Dench
Judi Dench is possibly one of the most influential and most loved British Actresses from a prominent theatre career, to her many roles in blockbusters. She has one countless awards including an outstanding eleven BAFTA’s. She is also greatly involved in many causes including campaigning in defence of tribal people and she is a patron for the Shakespeare Schools Festival that allows young people across the UK to perform Shakespeare in theatres.
10. Rosa Parks
Parks is most well known for refusing to give up her seat in the coloured section of the bus for a white person to take her place. She was arrested on December 1st which, along with the Montgomery Bus Boycott lead to her becoming an icon in Civil Rights movements and he resistance of racial segregation. She worked with leaders such as Edgar Nixon and Martin Luther King.