The Incredible Women Of 2024 In Their Own Powerful Words
We revisit words of wisdom, personal insights and profound thoughts from some of our Incredible Women of 2024 – from film-makers and musicians to activists, entrepreneurs, writers and models
Issa Rae on recognizing her own power
“I think recognizing my own personal power to make decisions, to take stands, to influence, has been quite a journey, but also recognizing the power that I don’t have, and trying to circumvent that. One of my mantras this year is to build more doors, because that’s how I broke in.” Issa Rae
Kate Winslet on what she learned from playing Lee Miller
“What [Miller] stands for in representing truth and justice… [someone] who was powerful emotionally and charismatic and sexy and brilliantly skilled at her job and had a way of connecting with people – I am inspired by that. We live in a time as women where we just crave that from other women. #MeToo lit a fire inside so many of us, collectively… in terms of [what we] want to leave behind and what we want to say for ourselves.” Kate Winslet
Simone Ashley on feeling kinship in her upcoming rom-com
“Picture This is like an Indian Bridget Jones. When I watched the final cut of it… it’s the first time I’ve seen an Indian girl as the lead in this kind of genre. Yes, there’s cultural specificity but never once did we stereotype my heritage or Indian traditions – everyone can watch this and feel a kinship to the character.” Simone Ashley
Alva Claire on moving to New York to kick-start her career
“It was great to scare myself… I realized I wanted to put the time in because I wanted to do this; I wanted to be a model. I think saying the words and committing to it is part of the reason things started to happen… I went all-in.” Alva Claire
Gloria Steinem on the problems of power
“Power hopefully means the ability to govern our own lives and does not mean power over other people – which is, I think, where the problem begins.” Gloria Steinem
Elizabeth Day on redefining success
“Doing How to Fail has made me radically redefine what success means to me. Success now means: not limousines and private jets – although that would be very nice; it means having the ability and the capacity to show up as myself in every single part of my life.” Elizabeth Day
Sophia Li on why she is optimistic about climate action
“Optimism goes hand in hand with urgency, with being rooted in reality, and with outrage… Just because I’m optimistic doesn’t mean that I’m out of touch with science, or not bold with action. It just means that I choose to believe that things are possible.” Sophia Li
Ambika Mod on how far there is to go for equity in her industry
“In terms of things being equitable across the industry, I think there’s still a long way to go – especially in my experience as a South Asian actor. It falls upon me and people like me to fight for what we deserve – and that’s an ongoing process.” Ambika Mod
Lupita Nyong’o on sharing her reality on social media
“I looked at the environment of my social media and thought, I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it… And then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.” Lupita Nyong’o
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on taking control of her career
“I recognized that at any point they could say, ‘Rosie is out.’ I’d seen that with so many girls – they literally worked with them for 15 years and then one day it was, ‘She’s too old and she’s getting some weight.’ That’s the way this industry works. I was like, that’s not going to happen to me.” Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Dylan Mulvaney on her pledge to stop people-pleasing
“If I do stumble upon a judgmental human, in person or online, I will not jump at the opportunity to appease them, but instead will decide to: A, excuse myself, or B, stand strong in my identity and my campy, feminine energy. There’s no way I’ll have the time or energy to complete all the goals I have in this lifetime if I’m wasting it trying to please the critics and the keyboard warriors.” Dylan Mulvaney
Lulu Wang on writing to create greater opportunities
“How many actors are not given that opportunity to show what they can do, to show their range, because the roles aren’t there for them? Just thinking about that propels me forward to keep writing roles for people who don’t get these opportunities.” Lulu Wang
Simone Biles on competing on her own terms
“Taking time away from competing wasn’t as intentional as my return has been… I’m more patient now, accepting that everything doesn’t have to happen on your time, and when you want it to. I’ve learnt that it’s OK to not be where you think you’re supposed to be at that exact moment in your life.” Simone Biles
Vee Kativhu on feeling her power
“[My mum] would always frame it as, ‘Whenever you think you haven’t got [something], just look at where you’re standing without it and it shows the level of power you have.’” Vee Kativhu
Mia McKenna-Bruce on becoming a mother in her breakthrough year
“The scariest thing when he was born was a part of me that was, like, ‘How can I be me now that I’m a mom? Where do I get Mia from?’ Then jumping back into doing what I love so much, I was, like, we can do all of this at the same time.” Mia McKenna-Bruce
Michaela Coel on the multitude admirations she has for women
“I cannot fathom, I cannot engage without awe, of the many makings of you; how does one toast you, how does one toast you?” Michaela Coel
Katarina Johnson-Thompson on overcoming setbacks
“You try to control everything as an athlete, and when you get an injury, you feel stuck in time. What I’d tell my younger self is that you’ve got more time than you think. Learn from it and try again… Everything can be added to your experience.” Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Victoria Canal on advocating for representation, without it defining her
“Having a disability is super-complex because this is how the world perceives me and I have no say in it… So, what do I do with that, you know? I want to be seen as a person despite my disability. But it’s also important to say the world is not catered to people like me.” Victoria Canal
Sharmadean Reid on fixing the system
“For the system to be fixed, women have to be active participants in it. But we can’t be participants in it if we’re already disempowered because of these things that are happening. So it’s this Catch-22 thing, right?” Sharmadean Reid
Eva Chen on finding hope from the new generation of changemakers
“This generation is a generation that is going to change the world. They have such strong morals and strong beliefs. And so, I think, in 2024, it’s about a powerhouse generation that I hope is coming to the forefront.” Eva Chen
Abi Morgan on grief and gratitude
“Though grief may still come in waves, there are also gifts. A newfound appreciation for science, for medicine, for the National Health Service… The brilliance of minds, and the care of those who fought for my life as if it was their own. I am stronger, more powerful, more loving, and willing to be loved. When life becomes fragile, you learn acutely what to hold on to and what to let go of.” Abi Morgan
Elif Shafak on dangerous myths around women
“The myth of the constantly, perfectly strong multitasking woman also comes at the expense of recognizing and expressing our true feelings. We must stop regarding our emotions as a sign of weakness, as something to be controlled and suppressed.” Elif Shafak