22 fabulous females of 2018
From the arts and academia to politics, business and science, here are the trailblazers who have lit up our world this year…
the
trailblazers of the past 12 months
1 DARCEY BUSSELL, retired ballerina and TV star
appointed a prima ballerina with the Royal ballet at just 20, and now a favourite Strictly judge, Darcey was made a Dame in the new year’s Honours list for services to dance. one of the best ballerinas of her generation, she is President of the Royal academy of Dance.
2 JK ROWLING, author
Fans flocked to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on the broadway stage in the spring, and her new film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, hit the screens in the UK in november. the former teacher, who wrote her first story aged six, is now the world’s highest-paid author.
3 DILYS PRICE, skydiver
86-year-old grandmother, Dilys Price, is flying high as the world’s oldest woman skydiver. the octogenarian also became the face of global fashion brand Helmut lang. Dilys is proof that you shouldn’t put an age limit on your dreams.
4 KEELEY HAWES, actress
It was the surprise hit of the year. Pulling in 10.4 million viewers for its final episode, The Bodyguard became the biggest drama on our telly in a decade, and Keeley Hawes was magnetic as ruthless MP Julia montague.
5 DORIA RAGLAND, social worker and Meghan Markle’s mum
When meghan married Prince Harry in front of a worldwide audience, her mum Doria was right by her side. the only member of meghan’s immediate family to attend the ceremony – in the wake of her dad’s heart scare – many lauded Doria for her courage and dignity as she sat alone to watch the couple take their vows. Raising meghan on her own, mother and daughter naturally share a strong bond, and Doria’s philanthropy has always been an inspiration to her only daughter.
6 TRACEY NEVILLE, england team’s netball coach
tracey neville described winning Gold in the Commonwealth Games in april as a “dream come true”. england’s netball coach led the ladies national team to a stunning 52-51 victory over australia, the hosts and Gold medal favourites. It was a last-minute goal by Helen Housby that cemented the win, making them the first ever english netball team to scoop gold at the Commonwealths.
7 REVEREND ROSE Hudson-Wilkin, chaplain
Reverend Rose was responsible for delivering the prayer once meghan and Prince Harry were declared husband and wife. the mother of three, born in Jamaica, has spent her life breaking down barriers, becoming the first female black chaplain to the Queen in 2007 and, in 2010, the 79th Chaplain to the speaker of the House of Commons, responsible for the spiritual welfare of MPS.
8 RACHAEL BLAND, journalist and presenter
Documenting her cancer experience in the podcast You, Me and the Big C, Rachael worked hard to reduce the stigma surrounding the illness. With fellow cancer sufferers Deborah James and lauren mahon, they formed “the coolest club you never wanted to be a part of”. Proving it’s possible to live life even after a terminal diagnosis, her fellow hosts have vowed to continue the podcast they started together, after Rachael’s death in september, aged 40. >>
9 VICKY FEATHERSTONE, artistic director, royal court theatre, London
While others dithered over how to react to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Vicky responded swiftly with a “no Grey area” day of action, followed by the publication of a Code of behaviour to protect everyone working in theatre.
10 KAREN GIBSON, conductor, the kingdom choir
Who could forget Karen Gibson and her singers delivering a goosebump-inducing rendition of Stand By Me at Prince Harry and meghan markle’s wedding in may? the Kingdom Choir were scooped up by sony music and released their debut album, Stand By Me, in october. their first UK tour begins next year.
11 JOCELYN BELL BURNELL, astrophysicist
she may have been passed over for the 1974 nobel Prize, but Jocelyn bell burnell was finally recognised for a discovery she made more than 50 years ago. awarded a £2.3m breakthrough Prize for observing pulsars – fast rotating neutron stars – she generously donated her winnings to help fund women, under-represented ethnic minorities and refugee students to become physics researchers. a true inspiration.
12 VIOLA DAVIS, actress and producer
the first african-american woman to be nominated for three academy awards, Viola is also the only black person ever to achieve the “triple Crown”, winning an oscar, two tonys and an emmy.
13 ARETHA FRANKLIN, soul singer
When the Queen of soul sadly lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in august, the world mourned the loss of a true legend. the powerhouse american singer, songwriter, civil rights activist and actress, won 18 Grammys, sold 75 million records and had more than 100 singles on the billboard Charts, including Respect.
14 EMMA THOMPSON, actress
oscar-winning actress, screenwriter, activist and national treasure emma thompson not only took on the challenging role of a high court judge in Richard Eyre's The Children Act, she was also made a Dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
15 LYNDA LA PLANTE
Lynda La Plante's 1983 hit Windows was made into a major Hollywood film. And with her new novel, Murder Mile, hitting the bookstands, la Plante is set to become publishing royalty all over again.
16 CAROLYN MCCALL, chief executive officer
17 Professor Wendy savage, gynaecologist
leading the way in women’s health, Wendy savage’s extraordinary career was recognised with a prestigious award for “outstanding contribution to health and healthcare in the UK” by The British Medical Journal. a powerful advocate for women’s reproductive rights, she was the first female consultant to be appointed to obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal london Hospital.
18&19 Zandra rhodes, designer, and Joan Collins, actress and author
Joining a star-studded line-up for
Kurt Geiger’s autumn/Winter ad campaign are Dames Joan Collins and Zandra Rhodes. aged 85 and 78 years respectively, the actress and fashion designer encapsulate the view that true style is ageless.
20 dee Caffari, yachtswoman
the first female to lead a team in the 2017-18 Volvo ocean Race, the PE teacher-turned-recordbreaking yachtswoman has sailed around the world six times and even completed a Vendée Globe – a single-handed non-stop yacht race around the world – without assistance. she admitted, with characteristic understatement, that she “had to be a bit more resilient than most”.
21 Peggy WHITSON, astronaut
astronaut Peggy Whitson features in Time magazine’s 2018 list of 100 most influential people. During her missions on the International space station, Peggy spent 665 days in space – more than any other american or woman worldwide.
Known as a “space ninja” by her fellow astronauts, the record-breaking astronaut retired from Nasa in June.
22 COLLETTE ROCHE, Manchester United’s chief operating officer
In april, the world’s wealthiest football club, Manchester united, appointed Collette Roche as its chief operating officer, making her one of the most powerful women in football, and the most senior female working at old trafford.