Today is International Women’s Day 2017.

Here’s to all the magnificent bold, brave, staunch women who came before – to the women of NASA celebrated in the recent movie Hidden Figures, to female scientists of the past (and not I hope the present) whose work was co-opted by others.

Here’s to the women who set an example and blazed a trail whether knowingly or not – to  the Madame Ching’s of this world – an astonishingly successful Chinese pirate who lived long enough to retire – the Ada Lovelace’s.

The scientists, dreamers, programmers, explorers, nurses, doctors and the witches and wise women throughout history.

In my own family to the bolshy, brave and sometimes quiet women who hung in there and got the job done, and who’ve encouraged all their children to dream and dream big.

And to the little girls who’re coming after – to the ones who’ll build on the successes of the past and change the world again.