Lucy Beeovr - Amazing Women

With all my love to Rob as always, I couldnt have done it without you.

Thanks also to my mum, Fliss, my stepdad, Roger, and my sisters, Angie and Alice, for a lifetime of support and encouragement.

LB

To my mom, a fellow amazing woman.

SG

I t is unimaginable to think that only 100 years ago, life was strikingly different for many women around the world. At the turn of the 20th century, women were still regarded as second-class citizens. We didnt have the right to vote. We faced obstacles to education and work. Our place was in the home, tending to the needs of our husbands and children, and we could only dream of one day becoming a doctor, a scientist, a lawyer or a politician.

It took a group of brave and bold suffragettes women who fought for freedom and equal voting rights to radically change the course of history for every female that followed. Led by the energetic Emmeline Pankhurst in the UK and other women like her around the world, the suffragette movement is the reason why, in the 21st century, young women almost everywhere can dream big, aim high and achieve their ambitions.

Today women lead the charge in every field. Where would we be without the Inspirations, true icons who encourage us to achieve our wildest dreams? What about the Trailblazers, gutsy gals who risk life and limb to break new ground?

How about the Campaigners, heroes who give a voice to all those who, through prejudice and injustice, do not have one of their own? Life would be so very different without the Leaders, fierce females who challenge perceptions and dedicate their lives to breaking down barriers.

Then there are the Pioneers, women who, through their passion and curiosity, changed the world for the better. How dull life would be without the Creators, whose dedication to their craft knows no bounds! We also salute the Activists, women who have the courage to speak out for what they believe in. Through drive and determination, the Virtuosos have risen to the top of their field and are celebrated the world over. Finally let us not forget the Young Talent the champions, entrepreneurs and superstars of tomorrow.

Each of the women in this book has something in common they are not afraid to stand out, speak up and work hard to accomplish their goals. They are the role models of the modern era. Now it is down to you to follow in their footsteps.

B eyonc Knowles is a megastar on a scale rarely seen before. Not only is she a powerhouse entertainer, global fashion icon and million-dollar business mogul, but she is also a wife, mother and humanitarian. Her entire career is an inspiration, her every move influential.

Beyonc grew up in Houston, Texas. Her meteoric rise to the top began age seven, when she won her first talent contest. Soon after, she formed the girl-group Girls Tyme, which became hit R&B band Destinys Child. Through their many chart-topping anthems, the trio became one of the most popular female groups in history.

But it was when Beyonc recorded her debut solo album, 2003s Dangerously in Love, that she transformed into the icon she is today. Featuring blockbuster single Crazy in Love, the album won five Grammys and catapulted the singer into the big time.

Since then, Beyonc has been at the top of her game. Through sell-out world tours and incredible live performances with her all-female band Suga Mama, she showcases her sensational voice and masterful dancing. Her music videos are works of art, while the chart-topping Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) became one of the best-selling singles of all time. In fact, Beyonc had more US Top 10 singles than any other female artist in the 2000s! With 2016s Lemonade, she became the first artist in history to have their first six albums go to number one and her staggering success shows no signs of stopping.

Beyonc embodies strength, independence and female empowerment. She made curves cool again, is a savvy businesswoman and a role model to millions. All hail Queen Bey!

H er 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, made history when it became the first non-fiction bestseller by an African-American woman. But when she died at 86, Maya Angelous legacy extended far beyond a single book.

Born in Missouri, USA, Maya lived with her grandmother when her parents split up. But when she returned home age seven, her mothers boyfriend attacked her. The trauma affected her so badly that she stopped speaking for five years. During this time of silence she found escape through poetry, eventually becoming a writer herself. She revealed her struggle to overcome racism and the events of her childhood through her books, essays and poems.

She also fought prejudice and organized marches during the Civil Rights Movement. Through strength, wisdom and bravery, Maya has become an inspiration to millions facing difficulties in their own lives.

S uper Saturday at the 2012 London Olympics. Jessica Ennis-Hill had just realized a lifelong dream, having triumphed in the heptathlon before an ecstatic home crowd.

On a day that saw 12 British golds, Jessicas victory was perhaps the most extraordinary. Having missed the competition four years earlier due to injury, in London she scored three personal bests and broke both the British and Commonwealth records! It was a long way from where it all began, in her hometown of Sheffield, UK, at a beginners track and field event. Even then Jessica was a gifted all-rounder and clearly made for the heptathlon seven events of running, jumping and throwing, which test skill, stamina and speed.

With a string of medals to her name, Jessica is now a mother and retired from the sport. She was honoured with a damehood in 2017.

A s a child, Anjez Bojaxhiu believed it was her destiny to become a nun. At 18 she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland, before moving to India to teach at a convent. It was here that she chose her religious name, Mother Teresa, after the patron saint of missionaries, Thrse de Lisieux.

While working at the convent in Kolkata, Mother Teresa witnessed terrible poverty and disease in the citys slums. In 1946, she said she received a message from God to leave the convent and dedicate her life to helping Kolkatas poor as a missionary. Those first years in the slums were fraught with difficulty she had to beg for food and was often homeless herself, but soon the Catholic Church recognized her sacrifice and, in 1950, the Missionaries of Charity was born.