Claire Young chooses her 12 International Women’s Day icons

International Women’s Day 2014 is on Saturday 8th March. Here, our Inspirational Parent and Kiddicare ambassador Claire Young, nominates 12 iconic women who truly rock; women leading the way with their accomplishments, successes and triumphs.

• Oprah Winfrey

  As a child I use to sit and watch her chat show after school. Without a doubt she influenced me growing up and is my personal role model. She has an incredible way of relating to people and I admire her vulnerability, openness and ability to inspire others. She is the richest black woman globally, considered to be the most influential woman in America and she uses her wealth to help educate young girls in South Africa. She used her talent to build a platform – a popular TV show which 40 million people would watch - and address serious topical issues.
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• Sara Blakely

  Sara Blakely changed women’s lives by founding big knickers Spanx! They're magic knickers which suck you in, smooth out your lines and make dresses look fantastic. Sara invented the technology and patented the idea whilst working full time in a job. In 2000 Oprah Winfrey named Spanx as her product of the year and sales took off! On QVC shopping channel they sold 8000 pairs in the first 6 minutes. She is the first self-made billionaire and set up the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurial training
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• Davina McCall

  I call her superwoman! She has shared her story about overcoming drink and drug addiction, going on to find happiness with a gorgeous husband Pet Rescue presenter Matthew Robertson who she met walking her dog. She has a fantastic media career which she combines looking after 3 young children. On top of all of this is a top notch fitness boffin inspiring millions with her workout ethos and videos AND raised nearly £700k this year alone for Sport Relief.
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• Adele

  Adele needs no introduction - the singer and musician has won countless awards – including mega-stardom Grammys, Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Despite being in the intense media spotlight she has remained authentic, true to herself and not morphed into a media stereotype. She is size 16 and proud of it. So she should be - placed her on the front cover! She supports a number of charities with donations. In 2013 she became mummy to baby Angelo and is back to recording music.
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• Dame Kelly Holmes

  Dame Kelly Holmes was the only mixed race child growing up in her village in the early 1970s. Things were tough. Brought up by her white mother after her biological father left when she was just a year old, Kelly’s mum struggled to cope. Left on her own and only a teenager herself, Kelly found herself in and out of care homes. A PE teacher spotted that she was talented at running and so her sporting journey began. She has gone onto win championship medals from the Olympics, Worlds, Commonwealth Games and Europeans. In 2008 Kelly founded DKH Legacy Trust which uses world class athletes to engage, enable and empower millions of young people. Aside from Kelly’s sporting achievements the legacy which she will leave behind is phenomenal.
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• Ina May Gaskin

  Ina May Gaskin is an advocate for normal childbirth and choices in childbirth. She has dedicated her entire life to ensuring that women centred care is the focus of antenatal, labour, birth and postnatal periods. Passionate about promoting alternatives to medicialised births she's an all-round amazing woman educating millions of mothers across the globe! Labour can be a somewhat daunting prospect so clear knowledge, options and reassurance are important.
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• Jack Monroe

  Single parent Jack Monroe is an anti-poverty campaigner and single mum who initially sparked public interest by uploading her savvy recipes on how to cook on a non-existent budget. Recipes start from 8p per head! She is brutally honest about what it is like to live with no money and is now using her large following to raise awareness of poverty issues in the UK today. Her writing is informative, witty and to the point!
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• Jacqueline Gold

  Jacqueline Gold, owner of Ann Summers, is a hard working entrepreneur and a big ambassador for women in business. She founded the ‘Women on Wednesday’ #WOW twitter campaign and encourages women to tweet about their business, then chooses 3 weekly winners to retweet. She is Mummy to Scarlett and openly spoke about the sadness felt of her son Alfie passing away when he was 8 months old.
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• JK Rowling

  JK Rowling's journey from single parent to award-winning billionaire author is nothing short of amazing! Initially rejected by 12 publishers for the first Happy Potter book, she had the tenacity to keep going, believing in herself and her books. She has had a magical impact on a generation of readers, 3 out of 4 children said reading Harry Potter has inspired them to read more. She is also Patron of Gingerbread a charity supporting single parents.
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• Jo Swinson

  Jo Swinson is Minister for Women and campaigns for better body image for girls. In 2010 she launched the ‘Body Confidence’ campaign and asked the media to stop promoting ‘miracles’ to young women by the use of airbrushing and featuring unrealistic diets. She is a successful politician and from 2005-2009 was the youngest MP in the House of Commons. The country needs more female politicians and she is an excellent advocate, flying the flag high for those interested in a career in the sector.
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Read more about Kiddicare’s Inspirational Parents campaign and visit baby specialist Kiddicare for everything you need for that incredible adventure from bump to birth to beyond.