For the women of our site

What female on tv made you proud to be a woman and inforced that women can be as strong as men and still be beautiful and independant

For me it was two different women Xena she was very strong, independant, smart, and still very beautiful. And Buffy for the same reasons. I know they are a bit silly fighting nonexistant monters but I guess in a way they have real monsters, whats on the inside of them. And its hard being a strong woman and its hard living upto what people expect of you and living down past mistakes.

For me it wasn't a female on TV - it was two women: Gloria Steinham and my mother. I grew up in the days of the equal rights ammendment and was brought up to believe that I can be whatever I want to be as long as I'm willing to work for it, and that men aren't better, just different.

I got to meet Gloria Steinham once at a talk she gave at my college back in the 90s, and I thanked her for helping to have shaped my entire life. I shook her hand - it was GREAT.

Princess Diana!

No reasons need to be given... her name speaks for it's self!

I was raised by men and the women in my family kind of hid behind their men so I had to look in other directions for strong women.

I'd have to say that growing up, there was very little inspiration on the television set -- at least so far as I could see, although the main characters on the various Degrassi shows certainly had a few strong women among them.

All in all, I'd have to say my mother was the strongest role model for me. The other women in my family are all clearly subservient to the men, but not my mom: she and my dad were (are) equals, and she is very much a take-charge, take-no-crap kind of lady. Growing up with her as a role model, it simply never occured to me that there might be things -- occupations, roles, experiences -- that I was incapable of. It makes family reunions seem very odd to me, because my mother, my sister and I all stand out as the outspoken, confident, assertive women we are, and the rest of the women wait until their husbands (or fathers) give them permission to speak. *sigh*

I always admired Claire Huckstable from The Cosby Show....she was smart, independent, sexy, stern with her kids but still lovable, and she always kept her hubby in line!