The celebrity women who always kick ass
Sometimes in all the doom and gloom of the media, it's easy to forget the people behind the celebrity and how much they've achieved for greater causes.
Over the year, we've been inspired, motivated and galvanised by the achievements and actions of some of our heroes, some long-standing, some who have only recently made their mark.
Prepare to feel encouraged, impressed and ever so slightly lazy, as we celebrate the achievements of the celebrity women who have truly kicked ass right now.
Jill GreenbergAmy Schumer
What a year Amy Schumer’s had. She’s released two films, Trainwreck and Sisters, both of which have made us laugh senselessly. She’s defended women who have accused Bill Cosby of rape; she entertained us with her quick wit and humour, managing to accurately capture female experience; she was named one of Time 100’s most influential people and scooped the GLAMOUR 2015 Trailblazer Award. And then there was her unforgettably brilliant appearance in the Pirelli calendar. Uncompromising, funny and refreshingly real, Amy Schumer is a hero indeed.
GettyAdele
Adele made the comeback of the year in October with a new record-breaking album, becoming the fastest selling album ever in the US with over 5 million sales. Her tour sold out within minutes and she’s widely tipped to headline Glastonbury this year. All this and she still comes across as one of the earthiest, most genuine stars in music today.
PA PhotosAngela Merkel
In December 2015, Time magazine crowed Angela Merkel Person of the Year for her "steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply”. The accolade cements her role as the most powerful woman in the world. She fought off a recession during the global economic crisis; is currently trying to help Greece revive its finances; has been trying to improve the Russia-Ukraine situation by brokering a deal with Vladimir Putin; and was widely applauded for opening Germany’s borders to thousands of refugees. A total of one million asylum seekers are expected to be living in Germany by the end of December.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift near enough took over the world this year. In July, she was named the world’s best-selling artist with 6 million copies of her album 1989 worldwide. Her single, Shake It Off, got us out of bed every day during the winter months and she firmly brought the idea of girl gangs back to the masses with her famous “squad” of friends. Positive, refreshing and strong, Swift has made it cool to be the nice girl again.
PAPatricia Arquette
The 2015 Oscars were dubbed the feminist Oscars for many reasons, but largely because of Patricia Arquette’s acceptance speech, when she used the occasion to demand equal rights between men and women. Her powerful and rousing words were met with whooping and air punches from Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez, who cheered from the audience.
GettyMhairi Black
As far as achievements go, becoming the youngest MP elected to the House of Commons since 1980 ranks pretty highly. At just 20, Glasgow-born Mhairi Black was made the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South – not bad considering her previous job was in a fish and chip shop. Her first speech delivered in the Commons in July wowed the masses, as she persuasively attacked the Conservative party about social inequality, and offered an olive branch to the Labour party to help form a strong opposition to the Tories. An all-round very impressive 21-year-old.
Getty ImagesJennifer Lawrence
J-Law has been on our pint list for some time now, but our love for her grew last year when she penned an impassioned public essay about the gender pay gap. She addressed reports that she was paid far less than her male co-stars in American Hustle, or as he described “the lucky people with dicks”, saying that it’s high time that women speak out about these issues and not worry about being viewed as whiney or demanding. “I’m over trying to find the ‘adorable’ way to state my opinion and still be likeable,” she wrote. “Fuck that.”
Getty ImagesLena Dunham
It's likely that Jennifer Lawrence would have been less likely to have voiced her opinions about the pay gap had she not had an outlet to do so, which was provided by all-round legend and overachiever Lena Dunham. The Girls creator launched the Lenny Letter, a mix of feminism, style, health, politics and friendship-related content. It’s brilliant – intelligent, entertaining and relatable content. Dunham strikes again.
PA PhotosViola Davis
Viola Davis is another Hollywood actress who has used her successes to raise awareness of issues close to her and thousands of other women. Her speech at the 2015 SAGs was moving, but it was her words at the Emmys that will go down in history. She discussed the lack of acting opportunities for black women, casing many women in the audience - including Kerry Washington – to well up. “Let me tell you something: The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity,” she said. “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”
Getty ImagesSarah Gavron
Sarah Gavron created one of this year’s most critically-acclaimed films, Suffragette, the first movie ever made about the women’s rights movement. Poignant, suspenseful and engaging, Suffragette is an important story, one everyone should see regardless of gender, all thanks to the vision of Gavron.
Rex FeaturesHayden Panettiere
Nashville star Hayden Panettiere bravely opened up about her battle with postnatal depression in September, following the birth of her daughter Kaya last year. The actress wanted to let women experiencing similar feelings to know that they “are not alone and that it does heal”. "There's a lot of misunderstanding ,” she said. “There's a lot of people out there that think that it's not real, that it's not true, that it's something that's made up in their minds, that, 'Oh, it's hormones.'”
