To celebrate International Womens Day taking place 8th March, we picked out 10 Inspiring Women who we admire and think are amazing.

“You.Are.Amazing. As. you. are. Stronger than you know. More beautiful than you think. Worthier than you believe. More loved than you can ever imagine. Passionate about making a difference. Fiery when protecting those you love. Learning. Growing. Not alone. Warm. Giving. Generous. Quirky. Sexy. Funny. Smart. Flawed. Whole. Scared. Brave. And so, so, so.much.more. Be Strong. Be Confident. Be You.”

~ Tia Sparkles Singh, 2011

#1. Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn, famous as an actress in the Golden Age of Hollywood, devoted much of her later life to UNICEF, working in some of the most profoundly disadvantaged communities of Africa, South America and Asia between 1988 and 1992. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in December 1992.

Fashion passes in a wink, compassion lasts forever.

#2. Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks is known as the first lady of civil rights.

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to obey bus driver James F. Blake’s order that she give up her seat in the colored section to a white passenger, after the white section was filled.

#3. Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi AC is a Burmese opposition politician and chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burma.

She was detained under house arrest in Burma for almost 15 of the 21 years from 20 July 1989 until her most recent release on 13 November 2010, becoming one of the world’s most prominent political prisoners.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

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#4. Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.

She survived being shot by the Taliban when a schoolgirl as she became prominent for writing a blog about education and girls.

#5. Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova is described as “the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived”. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 major women’s doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 major mixed doubles titles.

She reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including nine consecutive years from 1982 through 1990, and won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon a record nine times.

#6. Emma Watson

Emma Watson is an actress, model, and activist. She rose to prominence as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, appearing in all eight Harry Potter films. Since then, she has taken on starring roles and continued her education, graduating from Brown with a bachelor’s degree in English literature in May 2014.

In 2014, she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which calls for men to advocate gender equality.

#7. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey, media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist.

Her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show was the highest-rated program of its kind in history.

She is praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others.

#8. Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002.

After leaving the UN in 2002, Robinson formed Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative, which came to a planned end at the end of 2010, working to strengthen women’s leadership and encourage corporate responsibility.

She has now set up The Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, which aims to be ‘a centre for thought leadership, education and advocacy on the struggle to secure global justice for those many victims of climate change who are usually forgotten – the poor, the disempowered and the marginalised across the world.’

#9. Joanne O’Riordan

Joanne O’Riordan, one of seven currently living people born with the condition Tetra-amelia syndrome, is from County Cork, Ireland.

In April 2012, O’Riordan spoke before the United Nations in New York City, giving an address on the use of technology and challenging those present to build a robot for her to use.

Her brother Stephen has made a film of her life, titled No Limbs No Limits.

Joanne will be attending university and was named Cork Person of the Month and Young Person of the Year at the People of the Year Awards in Ireland.

#10. Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is arguably the world’s most famous modern actress. Streep has received 18 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and 28 Golden Globe nominations, winning eight, more nominations than any other actor in the history of either award.

Her work has also earned her two Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Cannes Film Festival award, five New York Film Critics Circle Awards, two BAFTA awards, two Australian Film Institute awards, five Grammy Award nominations, and a Tony Award nomination, among several others.

Over to you now, who would you add to our list of inspiring women? Tell us in the comments below.

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