I have witnessed a lot of women – especially as of late – tearing each other down, seeing each other as competitors in an unhealthy way and just not seeing a good sense of sisterhood and that honestly upsets me. I don’t like the slut shaming or bitchiness, there’s honestly so much of it going on and it genuinely breaks my heart to see. So, to make a change, I thought I would do a blog post dedicated to women who influence me in a positive way in life. From famous faces to family and friends, I am going to celebrate some amazing ladies here and I hope this post encourages you to do the same and remember we should unite together. There’s a lot against our gender and we should be part of the #GirlGang and stick together.

Famous faces

Little Mix

Little Mix are currently one of the biggest girl groups of our generation. Besides their catchy music and beautiful looks, what really appeals to me is what these girls stand for. They are girls for girls and as much as they have a glitzy and glamourous life, they are very down to Earth and keep it real. The real life issues they face aren’t hidden. True, they have private lives, but they are fairly open with their lives, including struggles. This was hugely showcased in their latest book, ‘Our World’, where the girls discussed struggles growing up such as family splits, illnesses and insecurities. Though all four girls influence me, I think it’s Jesy who I can relate to the most. During her time on ‘The X Factor’ she struggled a lot with her self-image and it’s something I also have an issue with. Though I may not have the confidence she has now found in herself, she has inspired me to try and be able to look in the mirror and not be in hate with myself. I’ve got a long way to go but she is someone who shines a guiding light I can look towards.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato suffered majorly with her mental health and to make things worse, it was all under the spotlight of the media. The demons faced in struggles of mental illness are beyond difficult, but Demi overcame many issues and has found a way to deal with her struggles. She has turned a negative into a positive by getting involved with charity work and organisations relating to what she has been dealing with and is living proof that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, during my darker days, I can look to Demi and be reminded that this doesn’t have to be permanent and I can eventually get to a better place.

Miley Cyrus

Though quite the controversial character and someone I no longer consider myself a fan of, credit is due to Miley as when I was growing up, she was the first woman I looked up to. She was the person that made me realise it was okay to be different, to not want to walk the same path in life as my peers and to not lose sight of where I want to go. Her autobiography, ‘Miles To Go’, was something I could really personally connect to. It’s also her charitable heart that helped me maintain my passion for helping others.

Beyoncé

Of course, many women look up to Beyoncé and it’s no wonder why. But beside her beauty and talent, I am in awe of her passion, her work drive. She is extremely hardworking and it’s something people should take note of. What she stands for is something that is also highly admirable, such as her feminist views and of course all her efforts with the ‘BeyGood’ campaigns. She also flies the flag for beauty in women not only in the stereotypical sense, but in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, backgrounds, religious views and that women are worth a lot more than written off as.

Joan Jett

Perhaps it’s thanks to Joan where I first got my feminist views, even if I didn’t realise. I loved how she paved a path for what she wanted to do and was considered what is different from ‘norm’ for women, especially when it came to music. She’s done a lot of good for females in the industry and it’s quotes such as “Other people will call me a rebel, but I just feel like I’m living my life and doing what I want to do. Sometimes people call that rebellion, especially when you’re a women,” that empower me and give me the strive to believe I can do whatever I damn well want, regardless of my gender or who I identify as in live.

Miranda Miller, Nia Lovelis, Rena Lovelis (female members of Hey Violet)

Similar to Joan, I feel as though Hey Violet are bringing back women in the music industry behind instruments and in bands. They’re also very in the know of rights for young people and our generation. In particular, Miranda, Rena and Nia do face a lot of criticism from those who don’t believe in them, but their drive is strong and they work incredibly hard to get where they want to be.

Friends

Sarah

Though a few years younger than me, Sarah has taught me a lot. For example, I’ve witnessed her go on a journey of self-discovery and she seems to be a lot happier with who she is as a person. From identifying with her sexuality right down to her beliefs and views in life. Sarah speaks her mind in the most respectful way and isn’t afraid of saying when she disagrees with someone. She’s very okay with being ‘different’ because if this world was filled with people who were all the same, it’d be pretty boring. Sarah isn’t very materialistic either and takes every small thing with the utmost gratitude and is happy with the smaller things in life. She is always willing to go without if it means it benefits another person for the best, which is something highly applaudable.

Camryn

Of course, I could definitely consider myself as a fan of Camryn’s, but I also feel I can call her a friend. Camryn’s journey as an artist is beyond inspiring to me. She started out at a very early age and managed to prove herself to being a success, despite being so young. Camryn has worked tirelessly on her career and it has definitely paid off – by the time she was 13 she had toured with One Direction AKA the biggest boyband of this generation twice. She also became the youngest indie act to chart a song in the Billboard Top 40 since 1997. She hasn’t become an overnight sensation and I find that extremely admirable because in reality, it’s important to work hard and Camryn is a reminder that things don’t happen with the simple click of a button. What else inspires me is that she is such a genuine and kind person, always treating the people who work with her with the utmost respect and gratitude. When I witnessed this and hearing about her journey in person, it inspired me to pursue my passion as a serious career.

Emi

Emi is someone who understands her rights as well as others and has her heart in the right place. She is an understanding and compassionate person, but also won’t beat around the bush. She is honest in the most caring way possible and is always willing to lend a hand or offer advice, but will always make sure you hear what you need to hear, but without actually being abrupt or blunt. She is a very woke person who takes passion in equality and human rights. During recent political events, it was Emi who taught me a lot about people’s rights and not just the ones that would benefit myself. She has taught me a lot about different cultures and given me more of an insight of feminism and equality as a whole and not from the point of view of someone who may be privileged such as myself. Her independence and hard working ethnic is also something I look at with admiration and I have full confidence in her getting where she wants to be in life.

Lily

I only met Lily at the very beginning of this year, but she has had the greatest impact on me. It turns out that Lily and I have had a very similar walk in life and jumped the same hurdles. She has a burning passion to achieve what she wants in life and won’t let anyone get in her way. She’s always willing to make friends along the way, no matter who they may be. Regardless of who you are or your story, you can find a friend in Lily. She’s also not afraid to go out of her way to protect those she cares about and has definitely made me feel a lot more comfortable with who I am as a person, despite my battle wounds. She always has a positive but realistic attitude to everything in life and takes life by the balls and ploughs on, which is something I aspire to do myself.

Family

My Mother

My mother is the biggest influence in my life. We have a very close mother-daughter relationship. I’ve seen her in some of the toughest battles but she never gives up. She ploughs on, even if it’s as though the world is on her shoulders. She always makes sure she looks after those she cares about and will always see herself go without if it means her family are better off. She is my actual rock and has helped me through the most darkest days I have ever faced. She has done countless of admirable things, but what I am taken back by is how strong she was when my dad fell ill. It was the most difficult time in our lives and not only did she look after me (who was the only blood relative), but she would do everything possible for my dad’s family, too. Though they divorced when I was a baby, my mother made sure she and  my dad maintained good friendship for my benefit and they were best friends. To have to deal with losing a best friend of 30 years as well as a grieving daughter (breaking the news to me being the hardest thing she’s ever done) and help ensure everyone got through the most difficult thing ever was so courageous and brave of her. I know many people would have broken down at many things she’s seen in life, but she strives through it with a brave face and to me is a true warrior.

Emily (cousin)

Emily and I may as well had been separated from birth. We are so alike but I really love her attitude – she does her best to see the positive, even in dark times. She works really hard to ensure that she gets what she wants out of life, even if there tends to be obstacles in the way. She makes it work, even if it seems almost impossible. She is also the one who opened my eyes to feminism and what my rights as a person and a woman are. She’s taught me so much and never fails to put a smile on my face, even when there’s times where I feel like I can never smile again.

My Gran

My gran has a heart of gold. She always thinks of others and always does right by everyone, even if they don’t do the same for her. She is such a lovely person that she gained the nickname ‘Joan Love’ at one of the places she used to work at. Even though generations have drastically changed since her ‘prime’ times, she will always accept differences and how things may no longer be the same. My gran always has enough love to give to anyone and everyone and genuinely cares for others. She does her best to not let her age get in her way and is the kind of woman I want to be when I grow older (even if she seems 20 years younger than she is).

Angie (my sister)

My sister was my first role model. I’ve looked up to her for as long as I remember and to be honest, I still do. She’s hard working and always stands by what she believes in. We aren’t close in age, so we didn’t have the stereotypical sister bond growing up and there weren’t really any fallouts or scraps, but to me she set an example that if you work hard and have the right attitude, you can get to where your heart takes you. Life isn’t perfect but in my eyes, she’s always dealt with everything, good and bad, in the best way possible. She’s very intelligent and always puts that knowledge to use. My dad would always both her and my brother up to me as I grew up and even if we don’t share the same dreams, she is someone who inspires me to just keep trying and pursuing what I want in life.

I hope you enjoyed my slightly different post today and if you’ve read this far, I tag you to do this post on your blog or even just a post on YouTube or social media. Let’s celebrate women because we damn well deserve it.

Jazz

Jazz is a Disney, tea and pop culture enthusiast with a passion for blogging. Also a proud introvert.