24 women, from standup comedians to basketballers to political leaders to DJs, give their advice on International Women’s Day

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We rounded up some of the most inspiring women in their industries and asked what they thought was the biggest issue facing women today, and what advice they would give to others.

I started at the BBC long ago when they had pay scales – so differentials for the same job reflected experience and length of service rather than gender. The moment any element of discretion is introduced, a few women will benefit and most will fall behind the men in terms of pay and privileges. So rule 1: beware discretion.

I was in hard news and analysis and have insisted on remaining in that area – despite enormous pressure to do “soft and fluffy”, because “only you women can do that”. It’s hard to refuse, and you can make a good living out of “soft and fluffy” – but do you want to? Rule 2: Just say no – and suggest they ask a man.

Among the great gender injustices, it seems to me, is the one that allows men to get appointed and promoted on the basis of what they might, possibly, be able to do on a good day, as recommended by their friends (Toby Young, anyone?); women mostly still get advancement on the basis of what they have already proved. Rule 3: #MeToo won’t be enough.

Here are my rules for women: never wear a pair of shoes you can’t run for a bus in. Make sure your underwear is comfortable – woman cannot concentrate with a chafing bra strap or a twisted gusset. And do not underestimate the healing power of a good hobby: men leave, parents die, children scarper, careers crumble, but a hobby can be yours for life.

I feel that political tribalism is the key issue facing women and women’s rights today. We have to be able to work across party lines if we want to achieve equality.

The number one thing holding women back is a lack of economic power.

We need to encourage women to be less squeamish about money, and to back themselves and their bright ideas. In this country women are currently half as likely as men to begin a company. If the rates were equal we would have another 1.2 million businesses in the UK. We might have the next Anita Roddick or Martha Lane Fox lurking in the shadows – I want to see them striding into the light.

We also need more girls loving maths. In 2016-17, 18 per cent of females took A-level maths, compared with 33 per cent for males. Girls are being pigeon-holed too early, and it is holding them back: at the moment, people who do A-level maths go on to earn around 10 per cent more in their thirties. Who knows what this figure will be in the future?

When I meet young women in schools around the country I see their determination and potential. It’s up to us in politics and in the media to give them role models they deserve. We need to tell them that it’s OK to be ambitious and to desire success. And that they can be the agents, not victims, of their economic destiny.

Yesterday, as I spoke at an innovation conference, I pondered what might be the biggest issue facing women. Here was a room full of extraordinary women entrepreneurs and innovators, full of great ideas, successful businesses in the making, disruptive technologies capable of really changing the game, and yet I know that start-ups led by women are less likely to get funding, despite being more likely to succeed, and that many of the women were in that room because they were not able to advance in the tech companies where they began their careers.

And these were the women who had battled to get into Stem subjects, who had built their knowledge in tech or finance, and who had the creative spark and determination to build something new.

I concluded that there is not a single biggest issue because the change we seek runs to the very heart of our culture, and the uncomfortable truth is that the levers of society deliver inequality: that this has somehow become accepted as the status quo. From education to social care, investment to promotion, it’s true.

Change is difficult, but we are asking people to accept that a drive towards difference is good, and this is not just something that we should do – it is something that we must do if we are going to continue to progress. Diversity offers greater opportunity and inclusion gives us strength.

Women are equal – not the same, but equal. Equal and different, and we need to address the very culture that defines our society and therefore the opportunities available.

I have been campaigning to end male violence towards women and girls for almost four decades. Rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, forced marriage, prostitution, FGM and a multitude of other abominations are perpetrated against females on a daily basis. Men who choose not to perpetrate such acts need to do their bit, and do all they can to educate boys and other men about the consequences of their actions.

Working class girls and women need to lead the way in the struggle for liberation, and reject the notion that the glass ceiling is a more important issue than the women at the bottom.

Dullest advice in the world, but financial independence means freedom and choice. Do whatever it takes to make your own money. I was a cleaner, life model, nanny and traffic warden before comedy started to pay the rent (the traffic warden bit isn’t true; I was just trying to create tension).

Being nice and being assertive are not mutually exclusive.

Say what you want and need out loud, be direct, let those words tumble out and watch how much more responsive people are when they don’t have to read your mind or tiptoe around your passive-aggressive vibe.

In tricky times, follow the advice you’d give to your own child. Stuff like: “That friend makes you feel shitty about yourself. Ditch that friend and invite someone nice out for coffee and cake. And for goodness sake clean your room.” Finally, flat shoes are your friends; heels are trying to kill you.

Today I will be thinking of the women who are imprisoned in the UK for crimes which were not violent, crimes many of those incarcerated will have been coerced or threatened into committing. I’ll be thinking of the hundreds of women in detention centres in the UK left in limbo for months and years while their fate is decided, often in a completely arbitrary manner. Most of these women could be contributing to and enriching our society. Instead they are separated from their families – their detention serves no useful purpose.

We still have a long way to go before we achieve true equality. Eighty-six per cent of Tory austerity cuts have fallen on women, domestic violence shelters are closing at an alarming rate, the gender pay gap persists, sexual harassment is rife, and women are still underrepresented in business, in Parliament and across public life.

In the light of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, we cannot get complacent. We must all come together, men and women, to finally achieve true gender equality, for all women, regardless of their class, race, ethnicity, disability or sexuality.

The biggest issue facing women today is the out-of-control financial system driven by men financially equivalent to the Jeremy Clarksons of this world. Before they get mown down by the next crisis, and before inequality worsens further, women need to take control of the steering, and apply brakes, rules and regulations. But to do that women need a guide to the monetary system. My short, accessible book, The Production of Money, is now available in paperback.

The life of a woman contains many conditions, many ifs and buts: “You can be beautiful, but only if you eat this, buy this and exhaust yourself doing XYZ”; “You can be paid equally as long as you don’t have children.”

As you move more into marginalised identities, those conditions increase: “You can be CEO if you’re a woman, but you can’t have children... and you have to be white.”

These conditions are nothing short of maddening, as is the sheer amount of time we spend attempting to contort ourselves into shapes that can pass through a tiny loophole. Before you know it, that pinched version of yourself is your normality – so to save your sanity to fight another day, my one piece of advice is to find the unconditional joys in your life and wallow in them. Soak it up, bathe in the love of those who will always love you, nestle with the pet who is always pleased to see you – do it every day. Remind yourself what it is to be unfurled. Some people call it self-care, others pampering. Whatever you call it, it’s survival.

I didn’t have the easiest start to life. I was in care from the age of six, lost my mother at the age of nine, and jumped to and from different foster families.

Radio and music have been huge passions of mine, but after studying drama at college I decided to go down the acting career path. I secured a few acting parts with films and documentaries but decided my heart was in radio instead.

I applied to be a promo girl for Heart (they were looking for people to join their ground patrol team). While I was there I shadowed everyone, from producers to engineers to the guys in marketing and of course the presenters. “How do I get on the radio?” That is the question I asked everyone, and their answer was: “You need experience.” I now cannot give out this advice enough. Experience is so important.

So my presenting journey started at Westside FM community radio station. While I was there I did every show, and I eventually scored the breakfast show. After 18 months of learning how to produce a show, run the desk on my own, make a demo and find my “style”, I was ready to fly the nest and get a job on commercial radio.

I’m not going to lie: I was terrified when I received the email from the head of Choice FM (now Capital Xtra). My demo interview got me the cover over Christmas, which I was ecstatic about. After being the cover girl for a few months, I landed the overnight shift (anyone who’s done this slot will know it’s the toughest show on radio). I then moved to Capital FM for four years. And last year I was given the opportunity to join KISS as their mid-morning presenter and their infamous KISSTORY show – which I am loving as I grew up listening to KISSTORY. It is my dream job.

I work in a heavily male-dominated industry but don’t let that fool you – if you know exactly what you want, you can achieve your goals. You just need to be prepared to work hard, be determined and get the right experience under your belt.

Women are way more powerful than we know, and the more we help each other the more we will succeed.

I think one of the biggest challenges we face is that there are not enough women in decision-making positions.

As women, we are constantly being told what to wear, what not to wear, what is acceptable to pursue or must be given up depending on our age, marital status, religion and so on – to the point where it has been normalised.

We need to create spaces for women in every field to be heard. Decisions that impact on women should not be made by men who have no idea what it’s like to be a woman. There is no shame in a male manager saying: “Hang on, I’m a man – let’s get a female colleague’s input on this one.” Better still would be policies that require equal representation of both genders on their boards.

You can see my petition for women's right to wear the hijab while playing basketball here.

For me, International Women’s Day always represents a chance to look back with pride on what we have achieved to date in the struggle for gender equality, and to celebrate the women who fought for those changes, but also to look forward soberly at how much we still have to achieve.

Throughout that history we have moved in stages from women being able to exert influence through their moral authority, their social circles and their writing, to women being able to press for change, first through their campaigns and protests but eventually through their votes and their representation in Parliament.

And as we prepare to move one further stage on, from direct political representation to equal political representation, it is also time to state with one voice that the time for incremental change is over. So on this International Women’s Day, we must make it our goal to be the generation that will not just demand full gender equality but make it happen now.

My advice to young women today is: be a proud feminist. We are at a critical moment of change – be part of it. Do so by getting involved in your local feminist groups, join in the conversation online, read books by women who have a vision of a better world, support women in sport and in cultural events, making sure you are open to a range of different voices.

Recognise that feminism spans across borders and nationalities, and that just because women are far away doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also fight for and with them – joining fantastic women like Bangladeshi trade union activist Nazma Akter who joined CARE International UK’s #March4Women on Sunday. In that spirit, bring some of your female and male feminist friends with you and join me and others at the march next year. It’s a fabulously energising moment, a marker in time.

Women continue to face huge challenges in Britain, from our role in public life to our place in the economy. That’s why I believe that 2018 must bring a serious change in culture in Westminster, so that we have zero tolerance of bullying and harassment, and where people feel safe calling out and complaining about sexual misconduct and misogynistic behaviour. That means MPs being forced to go to consent training, or risk being fined – and it means those who do wrong facing serious consequences.

This year should also bring an end to public sector and benefits cuts. The negative impact of sweeping cuts to public services and benefits have been felt most by women. By working together, feminists can help put an end to austerity and help prevent the further entrenchment of economic inequality.

A hundred years since Emmeline Pankhurst tied herself to railings – and women still don’t have equal pay. We’re getting about 80p in the pound. Plus, we’re getting concussion hitting our head on the glass ceiling – and we’re expected to clean it while we’re up there.

With a “pussy grabber” as a President and domestic abuse on the rise, clearly any woman who calls herself a “post-feminist” has kept her Wonderbra and burnt her brains, as we still have a long way to go.

But what the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have proven is that women are each other’s human Wonderbras – uplifting, supportive and making each other look bigger and better.

In 2018 I’d like women to feel that everything is possible – except for mountaineering in stilettos and moon landing in a ball gown. The sisterhood is powerful. We now just need men to join us at the barricades. It’s only fair that males, who’ve ruled the roost since time began, let women have a go at running the planet. And unless blokes agree to give females a turn, well, we’ll just have to take the “men” out of Mensa.

To celebrate the Sisterhood, come join me on my Girls’ Night Out. Fun and feminism guaranteed.

It is a pretty turbulent time to be alive, regardless of gender. It feels at the moment like the whole world is the beginning of an episode of Casualty, and we just don’t know what’s going to kick off first. But movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp mean that I feel united with the women around me in a way I’m not sure I’ve felt before. People are standing up and saying “no more” – and it feels powerful, which is exciting.

I’m not sure it’s my place to give any advice to other women while, like everyone, I’m desperately trying to make sense of my own existence. As I see it, we all have a sphere of influence in our lives, and however big or small it is we can use it in a positive way. For me, the key is to focus on what you can change to minimise anxiety about what you can’t. I can’t impeach Donald Trump, but I can donate to my local food bank, or visit my Nan more often.

Don’t marry anyone who won’t scrub the toilet or do their share of the childcare. Life is too short to pair other people’s socks. Caring is work; don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. Seek out female mentors at work and ask for advice on how to get ahead. If a male colleague is sexually harassing you, go to HR. And join your union!

Never trust a woman who says she prefers male friends to female. Learn to say the phrases “no” and “please don’t interrupt me”. Appreciate the body you have now, rather than looking back on it when you are older and wondering what you had to worry about.

The biggest problem is the idea that the battles for gender equality have been won already, when what we actually need is redoubled energy from governments, employers and individuals to create equal power. We keep being surprised by the facts: from the scale and reach of violence against women and sexual harassment, (yes, even in the charity sector) to companies shocked by the extent of their own gender pay gap when they finally get round to calculating it.

Legal rights are a fundamental and essential part of creating equality, but they are not sufficient. Just look at the 54,000 women who lose their jobs each year because of pregnancy discrimination, which has been illegal for decades.

The cultural barriers to equality need unpicking and dismantling, piece by piece. Government, businesses and the media must play their part, and so should we all in our everyday lives. Schoolgirl Jessy McCabe successfully campaigned to change her Music A-Level exam board’s all-male composer list. Blogger Simon Ragoonanan challenges gender stereotypes about fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives. As consumers, parents, colleagues and friends, we have more power than we often realise. On International Women’s Day and beyond, we should use our power to bring our goal of gender equality closer.

The main piece of advice I would give to young women this International Women’s Day – advice I wish I could take myself – is don’t be passive just because you feel like you have to be. It’s something I tend to do almost subconsciously now. Almost every single email I send has “No worries if not!” added on the end, even if it is often in fact a huge worry if not.

I have very strong opinions about most things and tend to know what I want, but I rarely actually tell people this. I know so many women, especially young women, who just have absolutely no confidence in their decision-making, and most men I know seem to have no problem with telling people what they want. Which I think is because when men are direct about what they want they’re seen as strong willed and confident, but women tend to be seen as overbearing or bossy – and it’s exactly the fear of being perceived as such that leads us to think that being passive is the better option.

So my advice is to try to at least change your “I don’t mind” to “I would rather”, or even better, “I want” – let people know your preferences. When people tell you that it’s up to you, believe them! I’ve ended up doing so many things I didn’t want to do because I didn’t tell anyone that I didn’t want to do them, and you always end up so angry and wishing you had been able to tell them what you were actually thinking. I’ve tried to stop building up the tiniest of decisions in my head, and realising that actually no one is going to hate me for saying that I’d rather have pizza than burgers or rather stay in than go out has been surprisingly helpful for me. And, as expected, no one stopped talking to me or changed their opinion of me because they knew more about what I wanted, and it probably helped them to know me a bit better.

Feminism, when abstracted from other forms of oppression, doesn’t really challenge anyone’s worldview anymore. Though women as a class are still socially and economically subjugated, the explicit idea of the inherent superiority of the male sex is largely marginal at this juncture in history. There is a sense of shared human experience and a right to public space between white men and white women, but what about between white men and Muslim women who choose to wear the veil? Or more troublingly still, between white women and black men, who are demonised on the street and by the state as deviant and dangerous?

Feminism needs to recover its ability to confront and disturb the easy consciences of those in power; our antagonism therefore is not between men and women but between the citizen and the non-citizen, the human and the Other.

One of the biggest issues women face today is the levels of gendered violence in our society.

I constantly question if the thousands of victims of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham had been boys, would the authorities have acted differently? I think they would. The girls in our town were seen, at best, as “exploring their sexuality”, and at worst that it was somehow their fault. I don’t believe that either of these would have been levelled at boys. Victim blaming is rife in all areas of gendered violence, and in my opinion it is one of the biggest barriers stopping women and girls from getting the justice they deserve.

The advice I would give to young women today is: listen to and support other women. Also, acknowledge gender bias and use it to challenge the assumptions that hold women and girls back and stop them reaching their full potential.

Gender inequality has a huge knock-on effect across many areas, including pay, economic performance and organisation productivity. So many of these issues would be easier to address if we had equal representation across society, including in the boardroom and in Parliament – if we have equal representation of people in decision-making positions, then those decisions will serve us all better.

The first thing I did as First Minister was to appoint a gender-balanced cabinet, and we recently legislated for gender equality on public boards by 2020. We don’t have the power to do this for the private sector but we did create a scheme to help encourage companies to commit to doing the same.

While there is progress, it’s not enough to just increase the number of women in these positions. We must use positions of leadership and experiences to help break down the barriers for those coming up after us. That’s why I launched my mentoring programme, First Mentor, and it’s why I’ve launched a call to action to other women to join me in making a commitment to mentoring, so together we can support the next generation of women leaders.

It’s my priority as First Minister and as a woman in leadership to ensure that young women and girls growing up today will not have to fight for gender equality – I am committed to that and hope others are too.