On 8 March every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world. 2026 marks 115 years of celebrating women’s social, economic, environmental and political achievements.
This year, to celebrate International Women’s Day, Your Marketing Team are reflecting on female figures, from the past and present, who make us feel inspired and empowered.
Laura T
Iris Apfel – Businesswoman and Interior & Fashion Designer
Iris Apfel first caught my attention because of how she look, her iconic oversized black rimmed glasses, silver hair, coral red lips and bold flamboyant style heavily seasoned with costume jewellery.
Apfel was a refreshing antidote to the muted nudes inspired by multi-generational Kardashians. Put her on the front row at a fashion show and it’s hard not to be drawn to her.
But, what I love about Apfel is that she is so much more than how she looks, but then to contradict myself, her look also wholly reflects her pure authenticity.
Growing up in New York, the daughter of a Russian Boutique owner she was influenced early by fashion, growing a passion for hunting out bargains in the local flea markets.
This was to become the very start of her costume jewellery collection. A collection that became the first show at MMA by a living female who wasn’t a designer. A collection that propelled her into the fashion world, with the likes of Armani and Lagerfeld attending to see how she blended costume with couture.
Her successful career as a doyen of fashion, interior design and style is a testament to her business savvy.
However, what I admire more is her youthful spirit, her bright, larger than life energy, her desire to never get old…”the world’s oldest living teenager” as she described herself.
I think there’s something very special to be learned from staying young at heart.
Laurie
Jacinda Ardern – former Prime Minister of New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. Known for her compassionate yet decisive leadership style, she led the country through multiple crises. The one she was perhaps most admired for was her reaction to the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks. Where many politicians would have taken a serious, detached approach, her empathetic and personal demeanour saw her embracing survivors wearing a headscarf in respect for the Muslim community and attending the funerals of the victims. She also took swift, decisive action and introduced strict gun laws within weeks of the tragedy.
Jacinda’s government also earned praise for its strong handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. Their elimination strategy during the first wave helped ensure one of the lowest death rates among Western countries.
I guess part of the reason I find Jacinda inspirational is that she is at a similar life-stage to me. Impressively, she had her first child whilst serving as prime minister and continued to succeed at her challenging job whilst navigating her new role as a mother.
Unlike many other leaders she resigned from the top job long before she was pushed, which I think further demonstrates her strength and character. “The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple.” I love that she ended her tenure on her own terms.
Sue
Jackie Pullinger – Missionary & Founder of St Stephen’s Society
I first read the book ‘Chasing the Dragon’ a few years ago, not long after I became a Christian. Knowing she was called by God in 1960’s as a missionary, she wrote to several mission organisations and was rejected for being too young. Following prayer and guidance from a friend in ministry, Jackie at the age of just 22, boarded an international ship going around the world travelling from port to port. She waited for God’s permission to get off the ship and arrived in Hong Kong.
She became a school teacher in Kowloon Walled City, an area run by criminal gang leaders, surrounded by prostitution and drug addiction. Led by the Holy Spirit, she founded St Stephen’s Society and started practicing what she calls an ordinary gospel. Rather than outwardly preaching at others and sharing what she believes, she simply went where God led her and witnessed to people through unconditional love combined with obedience to the Holy Spirit lead and persistent prayer for those around her. I was fortunate to meet her in 2019, when she came to St Mary’s Church to run a weekend teaching session.
Laura A
Frida Kahlo – Artist
I’ve been inspired by many women, most are very close to me and detail is too personal to share but from more of a professional standpoint I’ve selected Frida Kahlo. I have always admired her perseverance and resilience and have been a fan of her work for many years. I carry around a keyring of her which I love.
She inspires me from a creative point of view, the colours and styling of her work resonate with me, the colour palette she chose with inspiration from her home country is bright and vibrant and I love the tropical flowers and plants in much of her work, which has often driven design choices for me in my creativity.
On another level, I also appreciate the meaning and depth she carried into her self-portraits using symbolism, an unapologetic open and honest self-expression of her feelings and the constant suffering she struggled with. I admire her courageous attitude, to carry on and how she bared all and wasn’t afraid to conform to feminine stereotypes. She is an icon who reminds me to never be afraid to express myself, to be open and honest to myself.
Steph
Baroness Karren Brady CBE – Business Executive
There are lots of women that inspire me every day from my Grandma to Michelle Obama, but the person who inspires me to drive for success and work hard at my career is Baroness Karren Brady CBE.
Karren joined Birmingham City as Managing Director at just 23 years old. In 1993, sexism was rife and with Karren living in a ‘boys world’, this made her more determined to fight for her place at Birmingham City.
She has gone on to make her career in business, where she is now the Vice-Chairman for West Ham United, has non-executive positions in various businesses, appears on The Apprentice alongside Lord Sugar, and is a Member of the House of Lords.
Karren champions women in business and often calls upon her fellow female professional peers to help women trying to find their path to success in business. Karren is conscious to pay tribute to everyone who helped her on her path to the boardroom, encouraging women at the top to offer networking and mentoring to keep the flow of women in business heading to the top, constant.
Karren never gave up, she is resilient, confident, and an award-winning businesswoman. Oh, and she’s a baroness which is pretty cool.
Beccy
Katja Heim – Journalist & Founder of KHP Consulting
I feel very lucky to have had many women in my life who have inspired me. If I had to pick one, I would choose my first Boss and Mentor who took me under her wing after graduating from University. Katja Heim was a journalist who met Bernie Ecclestone whilst preparing a major magazine feature at a time when Formula One was largely a sport for motor-head enthusiasts. They formed a strong bond and working relationship in the process, with a clear vision to steer Formula One into a new space. Katja is widely credited with playing a pivotal role in establishing F1 as the aspirational global spectacle is has become today. Sadly, Katja passed away in 2019. My experience of working alongside her in such a fast-paced world has been invaluable and my memories of being so warmly welcomed into her inner sanctum will last a lifetime!
Lisa
Dame Stephanie Shirley – Inspirational Speaker, Businesswoman & Philanthropist
The woman who I find inspirational is Dame Stephanie Shirley CH. Her life story is extraordinary and she faced challenges that would have defeated most people, and yet Stephanie Shirley seemed to turn these challenges into a force for good. Here is a potted version of her life story.
She arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied child refugee at the start of the Second World War, and in 1962 Stephanie founded the software company Freelance Programmers from her dining room table to create job opportunities for women with children, most of whom worked from home. Her teams’ projects included programming Concorde’s black box flight recorder software and she built the company into a global business which she took into co-ownership. After the company was acquired, it was valued at around $3bn, and made 70 of her staff millionaires. She donated most of her wealth to charity.
Her late son Giles (1963-1998) was autistic and as well as being a member of the National Autistic Society she instigated and funded research in this field for which she received the Beacon Fellowship Prize in 2003.
This is an extremely potted version of Stephanie’s life story, but you can learn more here.
Stephanie dedicated her life to focus on her philanthropy and made sure every day her life one worth saving.
Miguel
Greta Thunberg – Swedish Activist
I have chosen Greta Thunberg because of what her leadership shows you about voice and action.
She began skipping school at the age of 15 to hold a sign outside of the Swedish Parliament to protest. She spoke out against governments, urging them to take climate change more seriously. Her demonstrations developed into a global movement known as Fridays for Future, in which students boycotted class every Friday to protest for stronger actions towards climate change. Her message has won her many awards, including Time Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year.
The message not only inspired students but also millions of other people who became motivated to fight for a more sustainable future. She has a straightforward message of saying that individual impact matters more than people assume.
This was particularly important to me because I always felt like I’m just one person, how much can I really do? She has shown me that real change starts with one person who is willing to break the ice with an action, especially when no one else is. It made me realise that something small such as reducing the amount of red meat I eat weekly might feel small at first, but it adds up when millions do it.
Greta is determined, courageous and a great role model for not only young women but anyone who wants to stand up for what they believe in.
Joel
Harriet Tubman – Abolitionist, civil rights activist, suffragist
In celebration of International Women’s Day, I’ve chosen to highlight the abolitionist and freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. Throughout my studies at university, I was continually drawn to the Early Modern period of African American Civil Rights, eventually writing my dissertation on the roots of black disenfranchisement in Florida. It was a time of great malice and even greater bravery, and the extraordinary story of Harriet Tubman always stood out to me.
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1822, Harriet Tubman suffered through one of the worst childhoods imaginable. In 1849, as a young woman, she managed to escape slavery, travelling nearly 100 miles north to freedom in Philadelphia all by herself. Rather than remain here in safety, she returned to the South, first to help her family escape, then again, and again, completing 13 missions without ever being caught. At great personal risk, using the secret Underground Railroad, she saved over 70 fellow men and women from slavery, earning her the nickname ‘Moses’.
As if this wasn’t enough, she went on to become a Civil War hero. Serving as a nurse, then a cook, before becoming a spy and scout, she made history as the first American woman to lead an armed military expedition – the Combahee River Raid, freeing over 700 enslaved people. After the war, she remained a staunch advocate for women’s suffrage and racial equality until her death, aged 90. With her unerring bravery and selfless battle for equality, she is a truly inspirational hero.
Katie
Jacqueline Du Pré OBE – Cellist
As an (albeit extremely amateur!) cellist myself, I find those who play it to a high standard extremely inspiring. British cellist Jacqueline Du Pré OBE is no exception and she is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated cellists of the 20th Century.
She won Britain’s most prestigious cello award at the age of 11 and was performing around the world with renowned orchestras by the age of 20. Her performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto is considered iconic, with the piece still being associated with her in classical circles. Despite some feeling that her interpretation strayed from Elgar’s original intention of the piece, she had the boldness to feel the music for herself and played with passion and emotion. She also won the award for the best classical solo album of the past 25 years at the 1977 Brits for the recording. Her legacy of beautiful and impassioned performances has inspired many others to take up the instrument and further hone their own craft.
In her late 20s, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), which sadly put an end to her performing career. However, she continued to share her passion with others through teaching and giving masterclasses where she could until her death in 1987. She also raised funds for MS research during this time, and a grant was set up in her name to support MS researchers early on in their careers. As someone with a close relative who also had MS, I’m equally grateful for the legacy she has left in this regard.
There are many ways you can mark International Women’s Day, from celebrating the women within your business to the women in your personal life. Head over to the IWD website to find out how you can get involved.