Female role models are women who are admired, aspired and held in high esteem by other individuals because of their ability to show passion and inspiration, with a potential to exhibit a clear set of values and their commitment to the community. Female role models are capable to accept others and overcome obstacles, while also communicating a sense of selflessness. They can either be someone that the individual knows and interacts with on a daily basis or someone that the individual never really meets, like a celebrity.
Through this article I would like to share with you all who my own female role models are, as well as why I perceive them as my own female role models. All women mentioned below have impacted my life in one way or another through the changes they have brought forward as well as through the hardship they experienced throughout their lives and the way they handled them.
Greta Thunberg
“You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and childhood with your empty words.”
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is a 17 year old activist who gained the public’s attention at 15 years old, after deciding to miss school and spending three weeks protesting to fight climate change outside the Swedish parliament, whilst holding a sign that stated “Skolstrejk för Klimatet” (School Strike for Climate). The concept of skipping school in order to protest using the banner Fridays for Future, became a worldwide talk and inspired many people to join her.
She backed her own words with action by sailing on an emissions-free yacht to the UN Climate Action Summit that held in New York, where she stated impassioned comments like “I shouldn’t be up here,” and “I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean.”
Moreover, she raised awareness for Asperger’s syndrome as she herself has it. She has described having the disorder as a gift and said that being different is a “superpower”.
The reason why I admire Greta Thunberg so much is because at a young age she was able to comprehend such an intricate subject and was able to speak about it on multiple occasions. I also like the fact that by doing this, she managed to create more awareness about the topic, hence leading to change. She also has been mocked and criticised by many, yet this has not stopped her fighting for what she believes is right. Her determination gives me the strength to talk and argue about what I believe is right, without letting others’ negative comments effect my beliefs.
Milena Kadieva
“It is a recognition of every active woman in Europe. It is an inspiration to all women and girls in Europe that their actions matter. It is a sign that even the work of a single woman could change the world.”
Milena Kadieva
Milena Kadieva recently won an award for “undertaking extraordinary actions at the grassroots level” at the Women of Europe awards. This award was awarded for creating a foundation that helps victims of violence against women, which she named the Gender Alternatives Foundation. Its team is made up of lawyers, psychologists and social workers who provide women with support when faced with economic or social problems.
In her acceptance speech, she mentioned that her mission as a lawyer of human rights is to protect girls and women from violence, to support those who are in need of it and also to work for gender equality.
The quote mentioned above is something that struck me instantly, as even though all of us have potential, we might be scared of other individuals’ reactions when we start working on something we deeply believe in, alone. She gives me hope that my potential could be enough to bring about changes, even when I would be doing it alone.
Johanna Nejedlová
“We need to focus on creating a safer and better environment for women. And, there is no shortage of tools to do so. We need politicians and public figures to speak up and make gender-based sexual violence their priority and the first step on the long journey towards gender equality is the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention in all European countries.”
Johanna Nejedlová
Johanna Nejedlová is the co-founder of Konsent, which is a group made up of young feminists. The aim of this group is to help bring about gender equality in the Czech Republic by knocking down myths surrounding rape, opposing sexism, and promoting consensual sex.
Recently, Nejedlová received an award at the Women of Europe Awards 2019 for strengthening young women’s voice in Europe through her devoted work to make the Czech community a better and safer place by educating it on sexual harassment and its consequences.
Here she said that “It’s imperative to eliminate violence against women in order to achieve equality. We cannot expect women to truly flourish, both personally and professionally, if their safety remains threatened by harassment, assault or rape.”
Personally, I think that what she is doing is great work which could help all women. It hurts me knowing that men are treated better than women when it comes to pay, law courts, etc, just because they are women, and personally I cannot understand why gender inequality exists in the first place. In my opinion, there should be more awareness on harassment, assault and rape and their consequences, since almost all women experience at least one of them in their lifetime. Thus I admire her because I know that she is helping in improving the quality of life for us women.
Monica Cirinnà
“It is not exactly equal to other marriages, which I would have preferred, but it is a bill that recognizes all social rights.”
Monica Cirinnà
Monica Cirinnà, who is an Italian member of Senate, was born and raised in a Catholic family, spent 20 years working in Rome and is a life-long environmental, women and animal rights activist.
In 2016, the law that allows same-sex civil unions, was passed and named after her. She was the reason Rome opened its first office for animal rights and contributed to the national law which bans cats and dogs being restrained in public doghouses.
In addition, Monica Cirinnà also forced the Rome mayor at the time, Gianni Alemanno, to appoint more women to his cabinet.
She fought for equality between gay marriage and heterosexual marriage and yet had to accept a different version of the law she proclaimed, and also fought for stepchild adoption.
I am someone who loves animals and believes that everyone deserves a good quality of life, and should not be judged based on sexual orientation. The reason I look up to Monica is because she fights for many things that I too believe are very important in life.
Malala Yousafzai
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.”
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai initially became famous for her childhood activism against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP’s) restrictions on education for girls, which was led by Maulana Fazlullah. At the time, Yousafzai’s family fled the area for safety and returned when the tension and violence were less severe.
Yousafzai wrote a blog for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and also made an appearance on television. During one of her TV appearances, she said that “Education is power for women. The Taliban are closing girls’ schools because they don’t want women to be powerful.”
Her name started becoming more recognised after she survived a gunshot wound to her head. Besides being an outspoken advocate for female rights and female education, she is also the youngest person to recieve a Nobel Peace Prize.
I remember hearing her name in secondary school, and honestly I think she is one of the most inspiring women alive today. Not only is she the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, but she fought for women’s rights at a very young age. Seeing her put a brave face after passing through such a trauma whilst she kept fighting for women is such an incredible thing. She helps me believe that despite all the obstacles that I might face during my lifetime, nothing should stop me from fighting for my rights.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant to be your own person, be independent.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ever since Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a little girl, she always dreamed of becoming a great lawyer, but people would mock her as according to them, being a judge or a lawyer meant that you had to be a man. She noticed that the lawyers and judges at the time were in fact all men, however that did not stop her from making a change.
She became one of Harvard Law School’s brightest student and also graduated first from Columbia Law School. There were multiple people who would tell her husband that his wife should be home with the baby, but not only did he enjoy spending time with their child, he was very proud of his brilliant wife.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not only passionate about women’s rights but also argued six landmark cases which were about gender equality before the United States Supreme Court. She voted to put a stop to children’s death penalty, to proclaim marriage equality through ‘the law of the land’, and increase protection to pretrial detainees from the wrong doing of police. She was also marked down in history for becoming the second female judge to be appointed to the US Supreme Court. Her remark about having nine women in Supreme Court being enough, shocked many, as there have always been nine men.
Learning about this woman made me feel so lucky to have lived in the same era as her. I actually felt sorry to hear of her passing just recently, on the 18th of September 2020. She battled and overcame sexism which she experienced in her lifetime; she became the second female law professor at Rutgers Law School and fought for equal pay; she was the co-founder of the first law journal about women’s rights and for the the Women’s Rights Project at ACLU; her name became more known for her powerful majority opinions and fiery dissents; she was the first Supreme Court justice to officiate a same-sex marriage and she is the only Supreme Court Justice to become a pop culture icon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg inspired me and showed me that as a woman, I can go into any profession, even if it is perceived as a ‘man’s job’ and that I should not stop myself from trying to bring a brand new idea to the world just because I would be the first one to do it. She was not afraid to bring about change and that is why I admire her. Moreover, the quote mentioned above, is something that my mum says, hence I have an emotional connection to that as well.
Melanie Martinez
“President? What a joke. Your kind are too soft and too sensitive to handle a man’s job – Having a larger capacity to feel and express emotion are one of the many qualities that make us superiour to your kind.”
Melanie Martinez in K-12
Melanie Martinez is a 25 year old singer, songwriter, actress, screenwriter, director and photographer. She created and directed mini-like movies for every song on her debut album Cry Baby.
Her main goal is to create music that can help people heal because she believes that art and music are strong forms of therapy.
Her album – K-12 is a reflection, of the growth that she has seen within herself. K-12 was adapted into a movie.
The film is rooted in the modern world, and offers sharp commentary on various social issues, such as racism, bullying, sexism, discrimination against the transgender community, mental health, and the poisonous oppression of the patriarchy. It helps to understand that embracing the unique aspects of our personality and being oneself, even when encountering setbacks, will help in feeling less alone and in finding our place in the world.
Personally, I think that she is an incredible artist, her music appeals to me, and I can relate to the lyrics because they have a deeper meaning. When facing difficult situations, I tend to listen to songs, which help to connect to me at a particular time. Even if I feel alone, I can say that somehow her songs and the characters understand me. Some themes presented in the K-12 songs are about fake friends; taking breaks from toxic relationships that are contributing to her depression; bulimia; the pressures of being in the public eye; sensuality and body-type ideologies that girls have to face; harassment against females in general and many others. Additionally, the film is aesthetically pleasing and colourful. I look up to her as she is not afraid to be different, and especially not afraid to bring awareness and voice her opinions on important topics. I admire the fact that she directed and produced her own music videos and her own movie, which she streamed for free on Youtube with the intention of raising awareness.
J.K. Rowling
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”
J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling is undoubtedly one of the world’s wealthiest authors on earth, however her life was not easy.
She was rejected at college at age 17 and then at 25 years old experienced her most traumatic event as she lost her mother to Multiple Sclerosis. A year later, she went through a miscarriage and at 28 she divorced her abusive husband. This led to her depression diagnosis. At age 29 she was a single mother living in a tiny apartment with no money nor a job, and in 2008 she also said that she was the biggest failiure she knew.
When she was 30, she wanted to commit suicide, however she started working on a book, which was then rejected by over a dozen publishers. But at 31, she published her first book and at 35, she became Author of the Year. When she was 42, she sold eleven million copies of the Harry Potter book within 24-hours. Her books were also turned into movies, theme parks and more.
I admire this incredible author not only because of the love I have for the Harry Potter franchise, but also because she managed to find creativity even when her life was crumbling. Thinking about how she went from feeling like a failure to then becoming one of the most successful women in the world is very inspiring to me. Her story taught me that no matter how hard life is, and how traumatising certain experiences may be for us, we should never give up. She taught me that I should persist in doing what makes me feel at ease and what I love, and that when I get rejected I should not take it badly, as there could be something much better in store for me.
That being said, I need to say a word regarding J.K. Rowling’s latest transgender comments controversy. Without going into much detail since all related information can be easily found online, I disagree with the stance that J.K. Rowling took with regards to trans-women. I have been raised to focus on the positive in a person, and so I cannot trash J.K. Rowling for her comments and forget the good things that she has taught me before. But I would like to make it clear that I believe with all my heart that everyone has the right to live their life as they feel they should, without being questioned or told what they should and shouldn’t be, and if you, reading this, identify yourself as a trans, then please do know that I respect you as you are.
Selena Gomez
“I want girls to know that there’s an option of standing up for yourself.“
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is without doubt one of the most well known artists worldwide, yet her life was never easy.
When she was 5 years old, her parents got a divorce, so she and her mother moved to Los Angeles. They struggled financially, in fact her mother had to work three jobs in order to provide for herself and her daughter. Selena then started forming her career, but was later on diagnosed with Lupus and also had to cancel her tour because of chemotherapy. Her disease caused complications and she was eventually in need of a kidney transplant, but when she was in surgery, an artery broke, so the surgeons had to build a new one using a vein from her leg.
She started talking openly about suffering from anxiety, depression and pain caused by lupus. Ultimately, she checked into a psychiatric facility.
In 2017, Selena Gomez was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year as she inspires many women around the globe. She is the executive producer of 13 Reasons Why, she has launched partnerships with Puma and Coach and has been an active ambassador for UNICEF since 2009. She also works with philanthropic causes; such as the Step Up Foundation and coaching for World Kindness Day. Gomez also raised more than $500,000 for the Lupus Research Alliance.
When I was younger, I used to wait for one of my favourite shows at the time to come on TV so I could admire Selena Gomez’s acting skills. I was inspired by how she is quite honest about her physical and mental health, while using her celebrity status to raise awareness on the importance of mental health and how important it is to seek treatment and help. She taught me not to stay silent, to use my voice and not be afraid of shame or judgement. She helped me understand that it is normal to speak up when feeling down, and thanks to her I am not ashamed to say that I also suffer from depression since I know that mental health is often misunderstood.
Madeline Stuart
“The world is becoming very black and white. People are striving for perfection where only the best is acceptable. If we continue down this road, then we will lose everything that is human...A model is supposed to represent reality, and in reality, people come in all shapes, sizes, nationality, and colour.”
Madeline Stuart
Madeline Stuart is known as the first professional model with Down Syndrome, but she is also the world’s most famous model with Down Syndrome.
In 2015, she decided to follow her dreams, which included dance, and so she decided to pick up better habits in order to become healthy. Although many people with Down Sydrome struggle with weight, she managed to lose 20kg, so her mother took a photo of her before and after transformation which went viral.
Since then she has modeled for Paris Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, Art Hearts Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Style Fashion Week, Melange Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week China, Sunshine Coast Fashion Festival and others.
Moreover, she supports lots of Non Profit Organisation. In some of these she also made a special appearance, or performed a dance routine or modelled. She also supports many charities such as Silver Linings Project, Vets Intl, The DisABILITY Museum, The Carol Galvin Foundation, Kulture City, Embrace Kulture, FUB Sweden, ‘I can, I will’ Australia, Inside Outside Dance Ensemble, Buddy Walk NYC, Special Olympics of New York, and Cultural Device Project and Radical Beauty Project and many others.
She has been featured in leading publications like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Women’s Weekly, amongst others. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, she was nominated for the Pride of Australia and Young Australian of the Year Award, and was named Model of the year for 2016 by World Fashion Media. For her work in Uganda from Kulture City, Madeline Stuart was awarded Advocacy Award, and received the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award from Global Down Syndrome in 2018. She also launched her own Fashion label called 21 Reasons Why.
I think that this young woman is one of the most inspiring women in the world as she does not let anything stop her from achieving her dreams.
Billie Eilish
“In the public eye, girls and women with strong perspectives are hated. If you’re a girl with an opinion, people just hate you. There are still people who are afraid of successful women, and that’s so lame.”
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish had her first hit when she was only 15, with a song called ‘Ocean Eyes’, after experiencing a dance injury which stopped her from taking dance as a career.
She recently took home four Grammy Awards for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Song of the Year’ alongside with Finneas, her brother. She also won another award for the ‘Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy’.
Her name was written down in history as she became the first female artist and the second singer to win the four major grammy categories, as well as being entered in the Grammy Record books since she became the youngest solo performer at 18 to win the Grammy for Album of the Year. She and her brother also wrote the theme song of James Bond’s 25th film, ‘No Time To Die’.
There are many things that make me admire this artist, firstly, because of how determined she was. She always knew that she wanted to write and perform music, and she made sure that nothing stood in her way. Billie Eilish also mentioned that one does not need a studio to write music, in fact she wrote ‘Ocean Eyes’ with her brother in his room, hence, teaching me that I do not need to have an amount of money in order to succeed in life. She insists in styling her own self, write her own songs and managing her own life instead of letting others do it for her. This inspires me to be more independent as she is my age and is in control of everything. Another thing I like about her is her non-gender conforming style, which can be described as laidback, bold and oversized. This is to avoid being sexualised, hence bringing out the idea that women are quite often sexualised by men and in my opinion this is wrong and needs to be addressed. Her music is more than just pop, and the lyrics are always profound and meaningful. This might be due to the fact that, as she stated in many interviews, she is depressed and so puts her feelings in her songs. This helps me understand that even celebrities can experience hardship no matter how many awards they have won or whether or not have been recognised by major film producers etc. Having everything does not mean one is happy, and for me Billie Eilish helps me understand that I am not alone when experiencing depressive moments.
Michelle Obama
“No one is born smart. You become smart through hard work.”
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama is without a doubt one of the most powerful women in the world and she uses this title for good. She helps in changing a nation for the better and focuses on projects and programs around the world, such as anti-obesity strategies and pushes women to recieve an education globally. She is a devoted mother, a fashion icon, and an accomplished writer and lawyer.
However, when she was younger, she lived in a one-bedroom apartment with her family. She used to think that she’s not good enough yet her mother and father encouraged her. Some of her teachers used to warn her not to aim high as her marks were not that good, and others would say that because she is just a black girl from the South Side of Chicago, she would never achieve something big.
They were wrong as after graduating at Harvard, she became a lawyer. She was asked to mentor a young lawyer, and that man was none other than Barack Obama. Barack Obama became the first black President while Michelle became the first African-American First Lady of the United States.
I admire Michelle Obama for being outspoken about women’s education, for standing up for African women, for reminding young girls that it is better to focus on our career rather than searching for romance, and for delivering the line “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” Moreover, she was a high achiever in a society dominated by men. In today’s world, marriage seems to be more likely to fail rather than succeed, and that personally scares me. But when I keep in mind that Michelle Obama has been married for more than 28 years, shows me that marriage can be sustained if there is mutual support, love and respect among the couple. She is an advocate for a healthier lifestyle. In fact, her campaign, which is called ‘Let’s Move!’ has produced a big response from communities, educators and parents and has also urged entertainment companies and restaurants to make an effort to promote better and healthier choices.
Francesca Fenech Conti
“Always look forward, don’t dwell on the past.”
Francesca Fenech Conti
Francesca Fenech Conti has a BA in Social Policy as she is passionate about social issues and women’s empowerment.
She is the admin and creator of the Facebook group ‘Women for Women (Malta)’. This group has over 38,000 members and is a safe place where women can find comfort when we are experiencing difficult moments. Members in this group can also keep their anonimity while posting.
Francesca Fenech Conti also works with NGOs and social workers, raises funds for women who need help while administering this group.
During the Covid-19 period, Francesca, along with Stephanie Spiteri, began a series of live videos on her group featuring talks with special guests where they discuss business, health and education.
Undoubtedly Francesca is one of the best female role models of mine. I find it amazing how Francesca managed to bring so many women together, reminding us that we should be there for each other and we should lift each other up. In addition to this, she keeps on fighting for women’s rights, and has also created a website with the aim of providing information especially on many women-related topics, helping us women to realise that we are not alone. Francesca is also extremely down to earth, caring and kind, and she truly walks the talk, and that makes me admire her even more. I feel so lucky to be living in the same era as her, but even luckier to know her personally, because I believe that she is very much needed in our community to help bring about much needed changes so we women can feel and be safe and empowered.
Krystle Penza
“We need to love ourselves and be the first in rewarding ourselves. We need to be the ones seeing our true worth, valuing ourselves and making ourselves happy; this makes us better people, better women, stronger women, empowered women.”
Krystle Penza
Krystle Penza is the woman behind the local Maltese brand MVintage. Krystle Penza claims in an interview conducted by Francesca Fenech Conti on wham, that due to her struggles in her private life, she was one of the worst students when it came to academic achievements. Yet, she graduated as a top student in management.
Mentioned in the same interview was the fact that she lost her savings due to a decision she made at the very start of her career. Yet she managed to create what I percieve as an empire through her brand MVintage.
I felt like heaven the first day I entered an MVintage store and to this day I am very fond of the products that I have from them, but I did not know that Krystle Penza was behind it before I read the interview conducted by Francesca Fenech Conti. Her claim of being academically one of the worst students in school was something that struck me as I too feel like I was not very bright when I was younger. Yet in my opinion, she is the woman behind a local brand that many Maltese people are so fond of. Moreover, when she said that she had lost her savings, but had to pick up the pieces and stand back on her feet, empowered me more as to never quit whenever I encounter any obstacle.
Agatha Barbara
“Agatha Barbara took her post with dignity and showed bravery more than many men. She ended up in prison scared by rats, which were left in her cell purposely and she emerged out of prison a Socialist more than before.”
Dom Mintoff on Agatha Barbara
Agatha Barbara was Malta’s first female legislator, was elected five times as cabinet minister and in 1982, she was the first Maltese woman to have become president of the Republic.
In the early 1940s, when life was more patriarchal and anti-socialist, she demanded that women should have better working conditions. She also managed to get her job back after being ‘sacked’ because she stuck up for another woman.
Agatha Barbara was also the first woman to address the pay gap between men and women and was the first woman to earn the same wage as men. She also attended political meetings and protests when the General Workers Union organised a strike.
Due to her passion towards minority rights and her opposition of injustice , education became free and obligatory. In addition, she ordered a survey of children who are vision and hearing impaired and those who have learning difficulties. Eventually she established the first schools for them. She also made sure that just like boys, girls have science classes, as when she was younger, these classes were restricted to males.
Agatha Barbara had always been mentioned in my history classes yet not much about her was said. So when I did some research on my own and found that she was a voice for children, women, people with special needs and the working-class, I immediately put her on my role model list. If she had not entered the political world, who knows what would have happened to those who are in the ‘muted’ groups. When we are young we take our education quite forgranted, but growing older we realise that it is essential, and the fact that there was a woman in the past who fought for this and got her way is amazing. The thought that a woman made education available for everyone, just makes me so happy and feeling so empowered. Moreover, I also think that opening schools for those who have some type of disability, was something so needed especially in those times. When I think of my education today, I stop and think of her and thank her for all she did at the time.
Claire Galea (My Mother)
“Everything happens for a reason”
Claire Galea
My mother Claire Galea is the best out of all female role models in my life. She went through a lot, and yet has grown so much. From going through a lot of hardship to today being a mature student ‘mummy-nurse’ as me and my sisters call her.
Through the years I’ve seen her transform. She has become more assertive, more confident, more resilient, and she will not let anyone or anything stop her from achieving her dreams. She has always been the first to help those in need, and sometimes even goes out of her way in order to do so.
Because of her, I am the person who I am today. She taught me so much, but mostly that I should never let anyone stop me because I am a woman. She taught me how to take control of my life and to not be afraid to voice my opinions and views. Because of her I am still living, and for me, the fact that I know I will never be alone as I have her, is something special.
I look up to her as I know that I would not be able to cope if I experience what she went through. She is so brave for fighting all the negativity in order to bring positivity back into her life. I admire the courage she has to pursue a career as a mature student – I find the student life hard as a 19 year old let alone going through this while having other duties. I am always scared to ask questions as I am afraid of being judged, yet during her lectures, she is most probably the one to ask questions in front of over a 100 students, even though she was bullied and had a miserable school life back in her school days. She taught me that it is okay to not feel okay sometimes and that I should stand my ground and let no one destroy it. She taught me how to love and respect others and help when needed. She supports me and is always there to tell me not to give up on my education or feel that I am not in the right path. She reminds me of who I am. In general, she taught me how to be a badass woman, who fights for what she believes in.
Christianne Marie Galea is currently reading for a B.A (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care at the Faculty of Education, University of Malta, which will lead her to become an early childhood educator. Her wish is to create an environment in which her class children will feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and emotions while expressing themselves freely.
In her free time Christianne loves creating art through mixed mediums such as water colours, acrylic, pencil colours and aquarelles. She also loves listening to music, acting and spending time with her sisters.
Click here to check out Christianne’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
