International Women’s Day: 20 Yorkshire women who have achieved huge success
International Women's Day is on Tuesday 8th March
To mark International Women's Day, we are celebrating great women from Yorkshire.
Actresses, musicians, charity campaigners, sportswomen and scientists, these Yorkshire women are all truly inspirational.
Celebrating inspirational Yorkshire women:
Helen Fielding
Everyone knows Bridget Jones. Her creator Helen Fielding is from Leeds. The novelist and screenwriter was named the 29th most influential person in British culture in a 2004 BBC poll. While her fictional character Bridget was included as one of the seven women who had most influenced British female culture over the last seven decades by BBC's Woman's Hour in December 2016.
Dora Thewlis
Dora Thewlis 'Baby Suffragette' was born near Huddersfield. Thewlis joined the Women's Social and Political Union in 1907 aged sixteen. Dora had been part of a planned break-in at the Houses of Parliament. She was arrested and imprisoned in the same year. Making the front page of the Daily Mirror, the activist's photo accompanied the headline: "Suffragettes storm the House". Reporters labelled her 'Baby Suffragette' for her indignation and passion.
Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE
Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE was born in Leeds, The best-selling novelist now living in America. Published in 1979, her debut novel, 'A Woman of Substance', has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. She has written 35 novels to date, all of which have been bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mel B
We know her as Mel B or Scary Spice, Melanie Janine Brown MBE was born in Leeds and is best known for being the feisty character in popular 90s girl group the Spice Girls. Over 90 million records sold worldwide, it is no surprise that the band became the best-selling female group of all time and known for girl power. She was awarded an MBE for services to domestic violence victims in the 2022 New Year's Honours.
Baroness Betty Boothroyd
Next up, British politician, Baroness Betty Boothroyd from Dewsbury. Boothroyd served as a Labour Member of Parliament. She was the first and to date the only woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair once described her as "something of a national institution".
Hannah Hauxwell
A Yorkshire Television documentary called 'Too Long A Winter' highlighted the tough conditions of winter farming in the High Pennines. It introduced the world to Hannah Hauxwell. The formidable farmer lived to be 91 years old.
Dame Jane Tomlinson CBE CBE
Wakefield born Dame Jane Tomlinson CBE raised £1.85million during her battle with terminal cancer. Sadly, Jane passed away in September 2007. The fundraising continues in her memory with 'Run for All' and 'The Jane Tomlinson Appeal'.
Jodie Whittaker
If you're a fan of Doctor Who, this one is for you! Next on our list is Jodie Whittaker, the thirteenth and first female incarnation of The Doctor in the British TV series. She is from a small village near Huddersfield.
Dame Barbara Hepworth
'The Hepworth Wakefield' gallery and museum is named after local artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth. She won a county scholarship to attend the Royal College of Art in London and went on to become one of the few female artists of her generation to achieve international prominence.
Dame Judi Dench
Dame Judi Dench CH FRSA DBE from York needs little introduction. Among many accolades, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love in 1998. This national treasure has played some of the most iconic female characters including 'M' in the James Bonds films.
The Brontë Sisters
The Brontë Sisters were born in Thornton and later lived in the village of Haworth near Bradford. Poets and novelists, Charlotte (1816–1855), Emily (1818–1848), and Anne (1820–1849) between them produced many of the great 19th century novels including 'Jane Eyre', 'Wuthering Heights' and 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'.
Helen Sharman
In 1991, Sheffield born Helen Sharman CMG, OBE, HonFRSC became the first British astronaut and the first woman to visit the Mir space station.
Dame Diana Rigg
Dame Diana Rigg DBE from Doncaster was best known for playing many roles including Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers, Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones.
Nicola Adams
Boxer Nicola Adams OBE from Leeds was the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title in 2012. She went on to add the 2016 Olympic gold medal in the women's flyweight division. She was the undefeated WBO female flyweight champion when she retired in 2019. Adams also made history in 2020 when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing alongside dance partner Katya Jones as the show's first ever same sex couple.
Joanne Froggatt
Best known as Anna Bates in 'Downton Abbey', Joanne Froggatt grew up in the village of Littlebeck on the Moors outside Whitby. As a child, she was a member of a drama group in Scarborough. Aside from her Golden Globe-winning performance in Downton, she was Laura in 'Liar' on ITV and is the voice of Wendy on 'Bob The Builder'!
Rosie Jones
Another lady from the Yorkshire Coast, comedian and writer Rosie Jones was born in Bridlington and is a regular on the stand-up circuit. You'll have seen her on TV shows like 'The Last Leg', '8 Out of 10 Cats', and 'Hypothetical'. She's also written episodes of the Netflix comedy-drama 'Sex Education'.
Beth Mead
Arsenal and England footballer Beth Mead is from Whitby. She joined Middlesbrough FC's Centre of Excellence at the age of 10. She scored England's winner against Brazil in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup.
Dame Penelope Wilton
Born in Scarborough, you'll recognise Dame Penelope Wilton from loads of TV roles over the years including as Ann Bryce in the sitcom 'Ever Decreasing Circles' and Isobel Crawley in 'Downton Abbey'. She's been in countless movies too like 'Calendar Girls' and 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'.
Claire King
Emmerdale actress Claire King was born in Bradford but grew up in Harrogate, attending Harrogate Ladies College. She spent a decade on the soap as one of the show's most iconic characters Kim Tate.
Maisie Adam
The next comedian to make our list is Maisie Adam. She was born in a small village called Pannal, south of Harrogate. Launching her career at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, she's now a regular on '8 Out of 10 Cats', 'Mock the Week', 'QI', 'Have I Got News for You' and 'Would I Lie To You?'.
International Women's Day is an annual celebration of women, which takes place on the 8th of March every year.
After the Socialist Party of America organised a Women's Day on 28th February, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman's Conference suggested a Women's Day be held annually.