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
5. Inspirational: Gen Kitchen
Gen Kitchen recently became Wellingborough and Rushden's new MP, the constituency's first female MP. She romped to victory in the by-election to replace ousted MP Peter Bone by a majority of 6,346, the second biggest Conservative to Labour swing since the Second World War. Speaking after her win, she said work would now begin on her key pledges, which include addressing the issue of knife crime, tackling town centre regeneration and fixing potholes. Gen, who is still in her twenties, worked hard on the campaign trail and clearly it paid off - her win has changed the county's political landscape and no doubt she is hoping to bring further change to the area as an MP. She is an inspiration to any budding young politicians and has shown that the path to Parliament is achievable with hard work and a dedicated team by your side Photo: National World
6. Inspirational: Mae Stephens
Kettering’s Mae Stephens used to work on the checkouts at the town’s Northfield Avenue Asda, but times have changed! She used to regularly post clips of herself singing at home on TikTok and she has since been signed to a record label, has a huge following on social media and her music is often played on stations like BBC Radio 1. She is a global singing sensation and her new song 'Make Me Your Mrs' is out now - what an inspiration to any budding young singers out there! Photo: Contributed
7. Inspirational: Marion Turner-Hawes
Environmental campaigner Marion Turner-Hawes has headed the Save the Trees group that is battling developers to protect the under-threat Wellingborough Walks lime trees. She has also been over to Corby recently to show her support for residents in Hooke Close where work has started on a massive warehouse despite the wrong street being consulted over it - she is hoping to help those affected by the council planning cock-up. She recently stood as an independent candidate in the by-election to replace Wellingborough and Rushden's ousted MP Peter Bone and she is an independent Wellingborough Town Councillor. Marion's commitment to the community and the environment is an inspiration to us all Photo: National World
8. Inspirational: Glennis Hooper
After 20 years of fundraising that generated more than £3m, Glennis Hooper who founded the Wellingborough breast care charity Crazy Hats has seen the group’s wish for a final donation become a reality. The ribbon cutting on the new £390,000 waiting lounge and adjoining landscaped garden at KGH for breast care patients marked the final act for the charity. And even though the charity has called it a day, Glennis continues to be an inspiration to us all as she has finally completed her book, which is now on sale, and the breast cancer survivor was awarded an MBE in the recent New Year Honours Photo: National World