www.womanthismonth.com 87 November 2014 Actress seems to be one title which has been replaced with the more singular title of actor these days; so too has the title of heroine. In the past, there were so many women to admire for their courage. Why are there many women we can recall who changed our lives and views, but so few today that seem to be forging ahead for a better tomorrow? Liberty, freedom and feminism didn’t kick in until the ‘70s; yet all the women in history who seem to have done so much for us mostly predate that era. Diana, Princess of Wales, is perhaps the youngest to benefit somewhat from freedoms of the modern era. Margaret Thatcher never benefited from any liberalities of the modern age. We talk of separating the boys from the men. So what is it that separates the girls from the women in our world? I am not discussing women of entrepreneurial spirit, who are more about building empires and not doing benefit for the community at large. Marie Curie found cures for us all. Coco Chanel designed women’s lives and freed them from restrictions. Eva Perón found rebellion. The Hepburns turned beauty into a form of art through humanitarian causes. In a world with more billionaires, where are the leaders and names of tomorrow that are courageously fighting for us all? Of the top 25 women billionaires today only one truly forged her own wealth — JK Rowling. Everyone else inherited the vast sums or got started on the rich list because of parents or partners. We have enough Angelina Jolies, who travel the planet for free, drawing attention to disasters. Where are the laboratory technicians, the ladies of industry, or the women forging a new cause and creating dreams for the future? Aung San Suu Kyi risked her life for the greater good of her people; Mother Teresa devoted her life to the betterment of others. Amelia Earhart crossed insurmountable boundaries and gave her life to prove that she was as adventurous as any man. Half the planet is made up of women. Perhaps it is the fact that there are so many wonderful women courageously changing things for all our futures these days that selecting a few dozen is harder than it once was. I’d like to think this is the case. Meg Whitman, one of the most renowned CEOs in corporate America, has given young girls hope for a brighter future. Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, is the youngest person to head a Fortune 500 company. On the creative front there is Zaha Hadid, an Iraqborn, Beirut- and London-educated architect proving that women really can make it in a male-dominated world. However, business accolades do not make a heroine. Privilege and money can make someone successful. Family ties can lead anyone to the right schools. Heroines of old are the battle-hardened fighters like Joan of Arc who despite her age and gender led thousands of men into battle and won. I hope the word ‘heroine’ has not been relegated to history books just yet. he says by JAMES CLAIRE Has fighting for the rights to be seen equal to men in the workforce lost women the right to certain titles? Missing My Heroine
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