“I W D 2012 Theme: Connecting girls, inspiring futures.
Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.
If every International Women’s Day event held in 2012 includes girls in some way, then thousands of minds will be inspired globally.”
The most powerful role models are often in the public eye, but the ones who make the most difference are often the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, daughters or neighbours we know. Becoming inspired to do be or have what you want is much easier when you have a role model to show the way.
This year I will share my top ten women who inspire me, and hope you will contribute with your own thoughts.
The first is Mary Portas. What inspires me about her?
Her appearance and style. She wears clothes which accentuate her long lean appearance rather than playing safe and looking more “normal.” She wears mildly crazy things – I remember a pair of absolutely killer boots in Mary Queen of Shops. She dares to look strong.
In all her TV appearances you see her driving herself (in a nice sports car) rather than being taxied about. She seems to get her hands dirty and do things.
She is not afraid of letting her weaker side be seen. She has been in tears on TV (I can think of an occasion in the charity shop), and when the sales targets for the House of Fraser were going higher by the minute she was quite obviously alarmed and not afraid to show it.
She is realistic about what can be achieved. Some of the smaller shopkeepers she visited were a far cry from her work with Harvey Nichols but you felt she understood that even small changes could make a big difference.
Mary has a team to get the creative ideas into reality. It is her own company, so she walks the talk about having an idea and making it happen. ( A lot of consultants can spot the problem but then walk away without fixing it.)
She stands up for small businesses… and small businesses on high streets which contribute to the community we live in. (Definitely good in my book!) It is not where the power and the media attention usually goes.
I want to put the heart back into the centre of our High Streets, re-imagined as destinations for socialising, culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning. Places that will develop and sustain new and existing markets and businesses. The new High Streets won’t just be about selling goods. The mix will include shops but could also include housing, offices, sport, schools or other social, commercial and cultural enterprises and meeting places. They should become places where we go to engage with other people in our communities, where shopping is just one small part of a rich mix of activities.”
See more on The Portas Report either in full or her 28 recommendations.
She has a business brain as well as a heart. Before each of the Mary Queen of Shops programmes there was information on the size of the market, the closures of that type of shop, so you realised the business side.
Best of all she seems to be a real person with personal boundaries. We see photos of her on holiday on her Facebook page, she has come out about being gay, about her childhood, but there is never any sense that she is using any aspect of her life to make herself look better.
So she has style + personality (authentic brand) plus passion and a can-do approach.
An excellent role model not straight out of the box!
Glad you agree about Mary Portas, Romi! Great response. It could be that the young girls of today still have a drive for self expression and adventure even though they “have” material things and are noticed. (Of course there can be emotional poverty where there is loads of money, too.) The tough childhood could have been the final catalyst for Coco Chanel, Edith Piaf, and Mary Portas rather than the cause itself. Don’t know. Very interesting. Thanks.
I love it, Jean! I agree on all points you raise about Mary. She’s such a force – not frightened to speak her mind, very committed and focused. Once Mary gets hold of something, she carries it through until the end.
I think, as well as being part of her natural make-up, her boldness and tenacity, comes from her background – having been “kicked out” of her own home by her stepmother at a fairly young age (I seem to remember from an article I read some time ago), made her having to stand up on her own feet rather quickly, having to become resourceful and fight for herself.
Similarly, for example, Coco Chanel and Edith Piaf achieved so much in their life (and beyond) – both having come from very underpriviliged backgrounds, which somehow ignited the desire and internal strength to achieve. Obviously, their respective talents had something to do with it but one has to have the drive and the “balls” to face up to adversity and conquer it!
Not sure whether today’s girls, most of whom have more than they need, will feel the same need to prove themselves and have the same drive to work as hard as those ladies did… ? I hope I am wrong.
Self-confidence has a lot do with it, of course, and in today’s world, too much emphasis is given to the way we look as opposed to what we are capable of. It would be interesting to hear today’s young girls’ role models – I expect most of the time it would be “celebs”, because of what they look like and what they have. I know I sound a bit sceptical about our young people but I have a young daughter at home and whatever I might be saying does not seem to matter as much – her friends have more influence over her at the moment than her parents… I am ever hopeful and positive that it will all work out in the end!