7 of Manchester’s most influential women on International Women's Day including Maxine Peake and Angela Rayner

This group of ladies have really made their mark on the world.
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As the birthplace of the Suffragette movement, it is not surprising that Manchester has a tradition of inspirational and influential women. From politics to religion, from the arts to the hospitality industry, these women have paved the way for future generations to follow in their footsteps.

This International Women’s Day, here are just some of the women who have become leaders in their field, not only in Manchester but nationally and on the international stage.

Rt Reverend Libby Lane

Bishop Libby Lane (Photo credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Gettzy Images)Bishop Libby Lane (Photo credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Gettzy Images)
Bishop Libby Lane (Photo credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Gettzy Images)
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Rt Reverend Libby Lane, who grew up in Glossop and was educated in Manchester, made UK history in 2014 by becoming the first ever Church of England Bishop. She was first made the Suffragan Bishop of Stockport and then later became the Bishop of Derby in 2018. She also sits as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords.

An avid Manchester United fan, she is also the Church’s lead bishop for sport and spoke out against the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. In a statement on the Church’s website, she said: “I personally do not think that the World Cup should ever have been awarded to Qatar, and I support those individuals and nations who are making a stand at the tournament, on behalf of migrant workers, women and LGBTI+ people.”

Angela Rayner

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner. Credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty ImagesLabour deputy leader Angela Rayner. Credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner. Credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Stockport-born Angela Rayner is the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne – the first female MP in the constituency’s 180-year history –  and deputy leader of the Labour party.

She had left school at 16 while she was pregnant with her first son. She later went to college and worked as a care-worker but found her way to politics after rising through the ranks of trade union Unison. As a politician, she has positioned herself as a champion of the working class people.

Mary-Ellen McTague

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Mary-Ellen McTague is one of Manchester’s leading chefs. Her culinary CV includes two Michelin-starred restaurants – the Sharrow Bay Country House in the Lake District and Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck. She also appeared in the 2013 and 2014 series of the Great British Menu where she represented the North West, both times reaching the final.

She is also a co-founder of Eat Well Mcr, a collective of local chefs and restaurants that has been providing thousands of free meals to people living below the poverty line all over Greater Manchester since March 2020.

Her first venture on the Greater Manchester culinary scene was Aumbry in Prestwich, which closed in 2015 and until September 2022 she helmed the much-loved Chorlton eatery The Creameries. A 2019 review by Guardian restaurant critic Jay Rayner described the menu at The Creameries as “seriously good, thoughtful food from someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.”

It's been announced she will be leading the kitchen at the new Treehouse Hotel, due to open in Manchester this summer.

DJ Paulette

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DJ Paulette was one of just two female DJs in residency at the legendary Hacienda nightclub in the 90s. Known for her house sets, she has played at clubs and festivals all over the world, including the local ones such as Blue Dot, Parklife, Warehouse Project  and Moovin. Elsewhere she can also be found on the radio, with regular appearances on BBC Radio 6 Music, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM and Reform Radio.

In 2022, she won the DJ Mag Top 100 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. Her debut book “Welcome To The Club” was released in January.

Helen Pankhurst CBE

Helen Pankhurst with her CBE medal (Photo by Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)Helen Pankhurst with her CBE medal (Photo by Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Helen Pankhurst with her CBE medal (Photo by Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Helen Pankhurst, a professor and international women’s rights activist, is descended from Manchester’s most celebrated figures. As the name suggests, she is the great-great-granddaughter of Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst and great-granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst.

But she is not included in this list by virtue of her name alone. Helen Pankhurst has continued her ancestor’s legacy as the founder of GM4Women, a charity focused on promoting equality and diversity in Greater Manchester. She is also the founder of the Centenary Action Group, which was set up on the hundredth anniversary of women winning the right to vote and aims to improve women’s political participation in the UK.

Maxine Peake

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Maxine Peake is a Bolton-born actress of television, film and theatre. Her breakout role was in the hit sitcom Dinnerladies and went on to star in other shows, such as Shameless, Silks and The Village, as well as films like The Theory of Everything alongside Eddie Redmayne. Away from acting, Maxine Peake is also known for her political activity and activism, particularly in support of environmental issues.

Nicola Shindler

 Nicola Shindler speaks on stage during The 76th Annual Peabody Awards  (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody) Nicola Shindler speaks on stage during The 76th Annual Peabody Awards  (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody)
Nicola Shindler speaks on stage during The 76th Annual Peabody Awards (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody)

Nicola Shindler, who was born in Rochdale, is the producer behind some of the UK’s most successful and much-loved TV series. She is a recipient of 11 BAFTA awards, including the Special Award for her outstanding contribution to the television industry.

Starting out as a script editor on ITV series Cracker in the nineties, she eventually went on to form her own production company RED in 1998. Popular RED productions include Clocking Off (2000–03), Scott & Bailey (2011-16) and Happy Valley (2014-16) and Last Tango in Halifax. She has also worked extensively with writer Russel T. Davies on Cucumber (2015) and Years and Years (2019) and It’s a Sin (2021).

In 2021, she left RED and started the Manchester-based Quay Street Productions. More recently, she has been the executive producer for huge hits Fool Me Once and After the Flood.