To celebrate International Women’s Day today, we want to uphold the achievements of local women and the impact they have had not just on this city but the world.
Across these pages, we’ve pictured some of the women from across The News’ patch who have done extraordinary things – from executing engineering genius to securing victory on sport’s biggest stage.
The theme of International Women’s Day 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge. You can learn more about the civil awareness day and its aims here.
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
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. Hertha Ayrton
Hertha Ayrton was an engineer, mathematician and inventor. She was born in Portsea, Portsmouth on April, 28 1854 and died in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex on August 26, 1923. Her research in vortices in water and air led to the invention of the Ayrton fan, which was used in the trenches of the First World War to get rid of gas and poison. She was also closely involved with the fight for women's suffrage. Here, Hertha Ayrton has been painted by Mme. Darmesteter. Photo: 3rd party
. Jill Ellis
English-American football coach Jill Ellis was born in the Portsmouth area. Jill formerly coached the United States women's national team and led them to consecutive Fifa Women's World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019. Photo: Kate McShane
. Geeta Basra
Geeta, who was born in raised in Portsmouth, became an actor and starred in six Bollywood films between 2006 and 2016. Photo: Ian Hargreaves
. Katy Sexton
Katy Sexton is a former Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and began representing the nation aged 13, going on to compete in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games, in Sydney and Athens. She won a gold medal in the 200m backstroke at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, aged just 16, and won gold in the same event five years later at the World Championships in Barcelona. Photo: Sarah Standing
1. Jill Ellis
English-American football coach Jill Ellis was born in the Portsmouth area. Jill formerly coached the United States women's national team and led them to consecutive Fifa Women's World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019. Photo: Kate McShane
2. Geeta Basra
Geeta, who was born in raised in Portsmouth, became an actor and starred in six Bollywood films between 2006 and 2016. Photo: Ian Hargreaves
3. Katy Sexton
Katy Sexton is a former Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and began representing the nation aged 13, going on to compete in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games, in Sydney and Athens. She won a gold medal in the 200m backstroke at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, aged just 16, and won gold in the same event five years later at the World Championships in Barcelona. Photo: Sarah Standing
4. Alison Owen
Portsmouth-born Alison Owen is a film producer whose credits include Shaun of the Dead (2005), The Other Boleyn Girl (2007) and Saving Mr Banks (2013). She is also one of the creators of the British-American television drama Harlots. Photo: Tibrina Hobson