In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are shining a light on some of the inspirational ladies making a difference in our communities.
International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion: “When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world.
"And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.”
And our towns are not short of women who have some incredible achievements to their name, including the eighth best female golfer in the world, the recently elected first female MP for Wellingborough and Rushden and a singer songwriter who continues to make her mark on the global music scene.
Scroll down to read more about these amazing women and why we think they should be celebrated on International Women’s Day
1. Inspirational: Stephanie Walker
Stephanie Walker from Corby is a domestic abuse survivor who bravely waived her life-long right to anonymity after seeing the brute who made her life a misery sent to jail. Bully Dean Hutchison subjected her to a series of horrific rapes, strangulations and physical assaults during their eight-month relationship. He controlled every second of her life and then attempted to gaslight her into believing that she was the aggressor. But she managed to break free from his control and found the strength to stand up in court and give the key evidence that saw him jailed for 13 years recently. Stephanie is such an inspiration for not only standing up in court to help convict this man but also to openly share her story, which will hopefully give hope and courage to others who unfortunately find themselves in a similar situation Photo: National World
2. Inspirational: Jane Capps
Jane is one of the founders of Off The Streets NN which is dedicated to tackling knife crime in Northamptonshire. The group was launched following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Dylan Holliday on Wellingborough's Queensway estate in August 2021. She has helped organise free bleed control training to local residents and companies which so far has been attended by more than 600 people. Alongside her team members Jane has been responsible for the installation of more than 200 bleed control kits and cabinets across the county Photo: WNC
3. Inspirational: Charley Hull
Kettering's Charley Hull is an English professional golfer who has achieved success both on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, winning honours as Rookie of the Year, becoming the youngest competitor to participate in the international Solheim Cup matches and becoming a champion on the European circuit in 2014 before the age of 18. Charley is currently ranked eighth in the world so an incredible inspiration to any young golfers hoping for national as well as international success on the greens (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Photo: Getty
4. Inspirational: Emily Fedorowycz
Emily Fedorowycz is Kettering’s first ever Green mayor and at the start of her mayoral term, she said she couldn't wait to spend the year championing the town she loves. Cllr Fedorowycz, who represents the All Saints ward on Kettering Town Council, is the first Green Party councillor to hold the position, is the first with Ukrainian heritage and at the age of just 29 is believed to be the youngest female mayor in the town’s history. Emily was also one of the organisers behind a rally last year to highlight women's safety which marched through Kettering as part of the reclaim the streets movement. Speaking at the time, Emily said: "Thank you to every single one of you who has come out today to stand up to violence against women. Today we march for the loss of two Kettering women, taken before their time. Because we will not let them become a statistic or a forgotten headline. We are here to ensure this doesn’t happen again." Photo: Contributed