It’s International Women’s Day, a day of recognition and celebration for all women globally. To contribute to this day, the Honest Voice way, we decided to share some of our biggest female influencers.
Fiona Brown is our founder – Charlene’s biggest inspiration. Fiona is Charlene’s mum. Fiona went back to education after having three kids. Charlene remembers her mum always being on the go, working, studying, helping family and being a “super-mum”. Charlene told me that the Brown siblings were very active kids, always participating in extra circular projects and groups; Fiona never missed a swimming lesson, a gymnastics class, a drama class or a football match (without a car and a bus schedule of every 25 minutes). Charlene watched her mum transform her life and the life of her children, from being an assistant in a local pharmacy in Yorkshire, to running a successful business as an Independent Financial Adviser today. To Charlene, her mum is the epitome of strength and perseverance. Charlene told me that she would be proud if she could be half the mother that Fiona has been to the Brown siblings and manage a successful career.
Dominique’s inspiration is Sophia Yvonne Ashley Young, a retired Vincentian/American professional women's basketball player with the San Antonio Stars in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She had a successful career as a basketball player in the USA before retiring and inspiring young people is the next phase of her career.
Through the Roy Maas Youth Alternatives charity, Sophia is supporting young people to create a vision for a better life and make it a reality.
Sophia had a focus and eye for opportunity from a young age and in a small country, opportunities of any kind were not a regular occurrence. Sophia identified, focused and strengthened her craft to achieve something greater than herself. Her hunger for basketball led her to her scholarship in Louisiana.
Dominique’s shared connection with Sophia is their St Vincent roots. Dominique is an advocate of the future progression and success of Vincentian talent, and she is proud that Sophia Young is an International Women's Day icon.
For Himal, Alicia Keys is one of the most empowering female celebrities out there. Every time he hears her speak or listens to one of her songs, he feels inspired.
Not only is she incredibly talented, warm and oozes positive vibes, she represents authenticity.
In 2016, she made a decision to stop wearing make-up as part of a journey to empowering herself. In a letter on Lenny, she wrote that she was tired of being judged on her appearance.
After addressing her insecurities and somewhat reluctantly agreeing to do a no make-up, barefaced photo shoot for her new album, she said the results left her feeling “the strongest, most empowered, most free and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt”.
“I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.” She concluded.
The message she is trying to promote is not that women shouldn’t wear make-up, but more that we should all feel comfortable doing whatever makes us feel strong, empowered and true to ourselves. And that is why Alicia Keys is one of the most inspiring females.
I personally have always been a fan of the Harry Potter books but after hearing JK Rowling’s personal story, I was truly inspired.
JK Rowling has struggled with domestic abuse, clinical depression and single motherhood, and her original Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by all twelve of the publishing houses it was sent to in 1995. The Dementors in her books represent the severe depression she experienced, and it is her willingness and openness to discuss mental health, and her perseverance in the face of failure that drives me to want to be a better person.
Growing up reading Harry Potter, I believe that her stories teach us that it does not matter what and where we are born but rather who we choose to grow to become; that love and friendship can overcome even the most powerful darkness; and that living and failure go hand in hand.
After all, “it’s important to remember we all have magic inside us.”
The most inspirational woman to Joel is Malala Yousafzai.
Malala was always an ambitious individual with a hunger to learn. Despite growing up in a remote part of Pakistan, she was fluent in English by the time she turned eleven. It was a tough environment to grow up in as a young female, with education viewed as a privilege reserved only for their male counterparts. This only became worse with the rise of the Taliban, and despite threats to her and her family’s life, Malala continued to attend school and even began writing a blog, describing the struggles she was experiencing and campaigned for women’s rights to education. Over the years Malala’s blog gained traction and she eventually gained the attention of The New York Times who commissioned a documentary on the destruction of girls’ education by the Taliban.
As Malala’s following grew, she attracted attention and on 9 October 2012, the Taliban stormed her school bus and shot Malala several times, including in the head and neck.
Despite all of this opposition and tragedy, Malala never stopped campaigning, nothing could stand in her way. Soon after the shooting she moved to Birmingham and had to start a whole new life in a foreign country. Still she campaigns and has since used her fame to launch a fund that changes lives all over the world.
Education is something that the vast majority of us take for granted. Don’t waste the opportunity. There is so much out there for you.
Sophie is inspired by those around her, her friends and her peers every day. The women in Sophie’s life are strong, vulnerable, and stay true to themselves and live their best lives. Sophie knows some amazing women who have been brave, have followed their passions, who have overcome challenges and faced hardship, and are amazingly dedicated to what they do. They inspire her to try her best and to be courageous and for that, she is grateful.
We want to know who inspires YOU. Let us know on social media and don’t forget to tag us.
Facebook: @HonestVoiceUK
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Join the conversation #IWD2018 #PressforProgress
International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Jasmine Shell