Women That Made Me: International Women’s Day 2019
Today is International Women’s Day which campaigns for equality across the world, regardless of gender. As a team of strong, independent females in an industry that is dominated at the top by male leaders, it’s something that we feel pretty passionate about. We wanted to celebrate the women in our lives that inspire us, so we asked the Neo PR team to share their ‘sheroes’, the women who inspire them to be better every day.
Mum’s the word
Our first and lifelong best friends, Mums are our first source of female inspiration, helping us to walk, talk and make our way through life’s battles and heartbreaks. Georgia’s Mum is her best friend: “She taught me how to be brave, showed me strength and taught me how to be sassy!”
As a new mum who has recently returned to work, Louise looks to other mums for inspiration like fellow Neo PR parents, Jo and Krista. “Someone told me that having children is like putting life into a food blender, flicking the switch on but with the lid off! I would like to big up to all those women and men, not just parents, who are juggling everything going on in their personal life with their careers. It’s about working together and knowing we can do it!”
Shoot for the Stars
Celebrities are constantly in the public eye and have influence over millions of people. Those who use that influence for good are the ones we look up to most. From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn is someone who inspires Carmel to become a better version of herself: “Confident yet humble she was very much an advocate of being her true self. When women support each other we accomplish great things, and as she once said: ‘Nothing is impossible, the world itself says ‘I’m possible’!”
For Hannah, Jennifer Lawrence’s approach to life inspires her. As an active feminist and supporter of charitable organisations Lawrence is committed to getting people to engage with politics, promoting body positivity and showing what it means to be real in the public eye: “Her buoyant yet considered approach to life truly inspires me and I hope to always project the same amount of passion in my endeavours.”
Older and Wiser
Having lived through a tough life already and being that little bit older and wiser, our Grandmothers are so inspiring! Francesca’s Grandmothers have both been through a turbulent life, from World War 2 to surviving Polio, yet they both manage to maintain a fabulous fashion sense – one of them makes three outfit changes a day! Rhea’s Nana inspires her to be the best she can be: “She is strong, resilient and wonderfully stubborn – and has a better understanding of new technology than some millennials, showing that you can achieve and learn whatever you put your mind to.”
Sisters doing it for themselves
Growing up with a sibling can be frustrating, but as we get older, we learn to appreciate them and see them as an inspiration. Jo’s sister is a strong, passionate woman who had a miraculous recovery after a car crash and chose to give birth without any pain relief so she could get back to her eldest daughter at Christmas: “She always always achieves what she sets out to in a way that is both a little bit cheeky, fun and mischievous. She is full of passion and zest for life, which I admire every time we speak.”
Balance For Better
It’s important to look to other women for inspiration, but we think it’s really important that women are taught that inspiration can also come from within. In a recent BBC Series, Icons, despite women being shortlisted in every category, not one finalist was female. As Jo concludes, “We should teach our daughters that they should be proud of the reflection they see in the mirror. They should be proud of the goals they set and the things they achieve everyday and they should be empowered to think and act without boundaries, enabling the world to Balance for Better.”
