International Women's Day 2014: HuffPost UK Editors Pick The Women To Watch | HuffPost Life

International Women's Day 2014: HuffPost UK Editors Pick The Women To Watch

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Ian Gavan via Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Model Neelam Johal walks the runway at the Burberry Prorsum show at London Fashion Week SS14 at Kensington Gardens on September 16, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

With news that women outnumber men for the first time on the NYE honours list, we're confident that this year will finish on a high.

We asked the HuffPost UK team to pick their women to watch, from a wide variety of professions. It wasn't easy - there are so many inspirational women worth shouting about it.

From politics to the kitchen, these women are not just doing it for themselves - but are making strides in a male-dominated world for other women too.

SEE ALSO:Amazing Moments For Women In 2013

Women To Watch In 2014

Cécile Kyenge, Politician(01 of11)

Cécile Kyenge is by far one of the bravest women in politics today. Italy's only black cabinet minister, she has been likened to a prostitute, and had racists insults hurled at her - including, unimaginatively, a banana.She is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Italy 30 years ago - but remains stoical and dignified in the face on such onslaught. Her star continues to rise in 2014 as Italy's cabinet now represents more women than ever before.

Anat Hoffman, Founder Of Women Of The Wall (02 of11)

Women have only been allowed to pray at the most Holy site in Judaism, the Western Wall in Jerusalem, in a small, segregated area, without access to any scrolls. She is a real champion of gender equality in religion, and of religious pluralism, and has been arrested countless times with her group for praying at the wall. This year, the government granted them equal rights to pray at the wall.She also campaigns against moves by the ultra-Orthodox to make women sit on the back of the bus in Jerusalem, and even against attempts by some to enforce some gender-segregated streets.

Sam Williams, Head Chef (03 of11)

Sam Williams used to work at top chef Angela Hartnett's restaurant Murano, starting off by running the pasta section. Two years on, she has clearly flourished under Hartnett's hand - she is currently the head chef at newly opened Cafe Murano. In a review of the restaurant, Metro's Andy Lynes described Sam as being "every bit as talented as her boss."

Katie Dippold, Scriptwriter(04 of11)

Katie's biggest work to date has been on The Heat, starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy - before that she was a stand-up comic and writer and producer on NBC's Parks and Recreation. Katie, alongside Kristen Wiig, is part of a phalanx of strong female writers, writing - crucially - for women. She's currently writing The Heat 2.

Rachel Reeves, Politician(05 of11)

Shadow Treasury chief secretary Rachel Reeves is the first female Labour MP in Leeds in 40 years. Speaking against the government budget cuts in 2011 she wrote: "Women must no longer be the shock absorbers for the government's agenda".Tessa Jowell speculated last year that she could be the party's first female leader, and The Guardian added if "Alistair Darling doesn't return to the shadow cabinet after next year's Scottish independence referendum, that will leave Reeves looking like the only plausible alternative to Ed Balls as shadow chancellor."

Elizabeth Truss, Politician(06 of11)

Education minister Liz Truss managed to get over her typo tweet with a good-natured joke.But what she is known for is her attempt to try and overhaul the childcare system. Blogger Anna Claeys wrote: British families spend almost a third of their income on childcare, compared with 4.6% in Sweden or 8% in Germany - a crippling amount in the current economic climate, which forces many women to stay at home. Elizabeth Truss MP ...called for an overhaul in the childcare system in a report for CentreForum, aiming to increase the number of childminders and make childcare more affordable."

Neelam Johal, Model(07 of11)

Neelam Johal is at the forefront of change in the fashion industry, after Burberry announced it was signing her at the end of 2013, making her the first Indian model representing the label. Neelam is one of a growing number of models who are creating a more diverse fashion industry that reflects all colours.We're expecting big, Jourdan Dunn-like things from Neelam!

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Politician(08 of11)

2014 is the year that former secretary of state Hillary will decide whether she is going to run for president in 2016, giving Barack Obama a run for his money. There's not a huge amount more we can say about one of the most powerful women in the world, apart from the incredible achievement it would be to have America's first female president at its helm.A book written by her about her years in the Obama administration is due out in 2014 too.

Stella Creasy, Politician(09 of11)

Labour MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy earns her place on this list for having the courage to ask David Cameron on Prime Minister's Questions whether or not he'd back the No More Page 3 campaign lobbied against The Sun.The Sun's political editor Tom Newton Dunn then reacted by tweeting a comment about her PVC skirt. Which indicated that having a logical debate with The Sun is about as likely as talking politics with a banana.In 2014, Creasy will be taking her strong, pro-women brand of politics one step further. Speaking at an event she said that she was warned to steer clear of women's issues which she found "frightening" adding that MPs need to confront their own attitudes to women.

Caroline Criado-Perez, Founder Of The Women's Room(10 of11)

At the beginning of 2013 Caroline, co-founder of The Women's Room UK (a networking site designed to raise the profile of female experts) and a Gender Studies student at London School of Economics, was relatively unknown.Fast-forward to a few months and the Londoner is one of the strongest feminist voices in the UK, with a growing and increasingly dedicated Twitter following. In 2013, her campaign to Keep A Woman On British Banknotes garnered widespread support resulting in the Bank of England putting Jane Austen on the £10 bank note and she hit the headlines after standing strong against to misogynistic rape threats on Twitter. (credit:The Women's Room)

The Meringue Girls, Bakers(11 of11)

Trained chefs Alex Hoffler, 27, and Stacey O'Gorman, 23, are going stellar with their meringue business, with appearances on TV (including Paul Hollywood's Pies and Puds), countless print interviews and a supply deal with Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.They have just released a cookbook and have been confirmed for a second deal - Meringue Girls Bakery.

SEE ALSO:
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If you have any suggestions of women you'd like to give a shout out to, please tell us in the comments below!

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