As we come to the end of 2019, it's easy to look back and remember the bad, be it politics or environmental issues. But what is also clear is the role women have had in shaping our world for the better. Take Gina Miller and Baroness Hale, who stopped undemocratic politics in its tracks, or Greta Thunberg who, aged 16, has spearheaded the international climate change movement. There's Lizzo who has served as a majestic poster child for body-positivity, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge has not only made us laugh and cry, but also proven how popular female-led, nuanced narratives are. Here, we celebrate and recognise 10 women who have influenced the way we live and think in 2019.
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg, 16, has played a key role in the climate change movement that has swept the globe in 2019. She began skipping school to strike in late 2018, staging protests first solo – and later in huge numbers – outside the Swedish parliament. This year, she sailed to the US (avoiding carbon emissions caused by flying) and delivered a viral speech where she chastised world leaders for their treatment of environment. “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she said. “We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth – how dare you!” In December, she became the youngest individual ever to be named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.
