Linlithgow Academy’s
Woman of the Year
Celebrating inspirational women for
International Women’s Day
#BeBoldForChange
Why should we still care about
women’s rights?
• Because equality has not been achieved.
• Ernst and Young estimate that it will take
170 years for women to have full equality
with men at the current rate.
Your job!
• Linlithgow Academy’s Amnesty International
group have prepared details on a number of
women who have inspired them.
– They hope you may also be inspired to recognise and
encourage equality at home, with friends, in school
and eventually at work.
• They’d like you to select who should be
Linlithgow Academy’s International Woman of the
Year.
– Think about who you think is the best role model for
the young women and men who attend our school.
• You’ll have a chance to vote at the end.
Eliza Schuler
Hamilton
• Elizabeth Schuyler
Hamilton was the wife of
one of the founding
fathers of America
(Alexander Hamilton)
• She was co-founder and
deputy director of the
first private orphanage in
New York City.
• She helped her husband
draft documentation for
the founding of the
American state.
Jasmine Archer says
“I think Eliza Hamilton should be
the woman of the year because
she was freaking awesome: the
fact that she was a compassionate
and strong woman who used her
initiative in a strongly manorientated world despite many
personal tragedies.”
Katherine Johnston
• Katherine Johnson was a
mathematician in the NASA space
programme.
• Born in 1918 in West Virginia, she
helped fight for both women’s
and black civil rights.
• She calculated the trajectory for
the first American in space some
of the important calculations for
the landing co-ordinates for the
moon landing.
Ellen Beard says
“I think Katherine
Johnston should
be the woman of
the year because
she promoted both
female and black
equality.”
Nichelle Nichols
Born 1932 in Illinois, USA
Jazz singer with famous musicians such as Duke
Ellington touring all over USA, Europe and Canada with
his band
Most famous for her role Lieutenant Uhura in TV series
Star Trek
Role was ground-breaking – one of the first black
women on TV in a major role that wasn’t a servant,
and led to TV’s first interracial kiss
Praised by Dr Martin Luther King for providing a role
model to young women and black children across the
country, and inspired actress Whoopi Goldberg
After Star Trek,
volunteered with NASA
in a programme to
recruit more women
and ethnic minorities,
resulting in USA’s first
Afro-American and
female astronauts
Lucy Purbrick says “I think Nichelle Nichols should be the woman of the year
because she not only made a career for herself at a very young age but
provided black people and young women across America with a someone on
TV who represented them. Also, she helped recruit for NASA.”
Michelle Obama
• Former First Lady
• Active political voice –
not just the President’s
wife.
• She did Law at Harvard
• Made efforts for all girls
to get an education.
• Made her voice heard in
a male-dominant society.
• Fought for equal rights
for everyone.
Ailis Semple says
“I think Michelle should be
the woman of the year
because as never let her
sex or skin colour or
position stop her from
fighting to do what she
believes is right.”
Emmeline
Pankhurst
Kirsty Box says
• Emmeline was born 1858, during
July. She was a political activist
and a leader of the suffragette
movement.
• Historians argue about her
methods for gaining women the
vote but they agree her work was
crucial to society.
• In 1999 she was named one of the
most important people of the 20th
Century.
“I think Mrs Pankhurst should be
nominated woman of the year
because she led one of the
greatest feminist movements of
all time. She inspires us and
many other girls world-wide to
be confident and stand up for
what we believe in. She proves
that no matter who you are,
your opinion matters to
society.”
Dr Marion Ross
• Leading physicist and first female
fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
• Taught mathematics before achieving
her PHD in 1943.
• During WW2 Marion led a research
group who worked on underwater
acoustics.
• She became a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh.
• After WW2 she became the first
director of the Fluid Dynamics Unit at
Edinburgh university helping to improve
the use of x-ray machines
Nina Al-Gailani says
“I think Dr Ross should
be the woman of the
year because she’s a
local woman who was
a leader in scientific
research. She
contributed to the war
effort and did not
allow her gender to
stop her achieving her
goals.”
Sophie Scholl
• 22-year-old Sophie Scholl led a
student rebellion against the
Nazi-Party in Nazi Germany,
1943.
• She was publically executed by
guillotine, and her last words
were “Long Live Freedom!”
• She questioned and defied a
violent authoritarian government,
at a time when women were
considered feeble and stupid.
• She led the White Rose group – a
non-violent group of students
who protested against the
government, and their genocide.
Heather Box says
“I think Sophie should be
nominated woman of the year
because she showed the
courage to defy those in power,
which cost her life. She died
for what she believed in, in a
world where women were
considered inferior. ”
Lilly Singh
• Canadian vlogger, comedian
and actor also known by her
YouTube user name:
IISuperwomanII
• She is one of the highest
paid YouTube stars – earning
a reported $7.5 million a
year.
• Promotes the
#Girllove
Rafiki
bracelet
which helps
pay for girls
education in Kenya
Jessica Bromhead says
“I think Lilly should be the woman
of the year because she uses her
fame and money to help girls in
less economically developed
countries receive an education, and
women across the world feel better
about themselves.”
Valentina
Tereshkova
• The first woman in space (1963)
• Valentina Tereshkova spent 3
days in space, completing 48
orbits before coming back to
earth.
• While people kept
discriminating against her,
telling her that she could not
do it, she kept up with her
dreams and successfully
completed her goals.
• In 2013 (aged 76) Valentina
offered to go on a one way trip
to Mars, if the chance were to
arise.
Cameron Cassidy says
“I think Valentina should be
nominated woman of the year
because she did not let others
get her down, even when times
got tough. She was resilient and
completed her goals – that’s
inspiring for women AND men!”
Emma Watson
• In addition to being a famous
actress of the Harry Potter
movies, Emma Watson has been
very outspoken on the
importance of education for
girls and perceptions of women
in education.
• She is a UN Goodwill
Ambassador, notably speaking
on the #heforshe campaign
which aims to get more men
involved in feminism.
• She also campaigns against
female discrimination in
politics, health and
employment.
Tess Anderson says
“I think Emma should be
nominated woman of the year
because she spreads the
message that feminism is not
‘man-hate’ which is important
because it should be as big of
an issue to men as it is to
women.”