Poll: Anne Frank better role model than Kate Moss
Jewish teenager ranked eighth most influential female in British poll, Thatcher in first place
A new poll published by the British Guardian shows that legendary Dutch Jew Anne Frank, who died as a teenager in the Holocaust, is the eighth most important role model for British women.
At the top of the list, with 31% of the vote, is "Iron Lady" Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, while rebellious supermodel Kate Moss came in last with only one percent of the vote.
Similarly to the prestigious 100 Most Influential Women list, published annually by Forbes magazine, the British version featured mainly female politicians, businesswomen, and celebrities. However, unlike the American survey, the respondents were some 2,000 British female web-surfers over the age of 16.
Surprisingly, just one actress made it into the British poll's top 10 spots – comedian Joanna Lumley, who's political and social activism placed awarded her the seventh place.
Last year, Lumley spearheaded a campaign to grant Nepalese Gurkha soldiers permanent residence in the Kingdom, due to their 200-year long loyalty to Her Majesty's army.
The poll also asked the respondents who they would swap places with. Just 2% said they would want to be in Thatcher's shoes, while 26% responded they would gladly exchange lives with J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter series and Britain's wealthiest woman.
The successful author shared the 6th place with the United States' first lady, Michelle Obama, who ranked first on the Forbes list.
England's Queen Elizabeth II also made it into the coveted list, with 24% of respondents saying they consider her as a role model.
When asked what criteria they considered when selecting their role models, the majority of respondents said the most important quality was the woman's intelligence and degree of independence. Another key feature was the woman's commitment to a certain goal, and her willingness to work hard in order to achieve it.
Guardian's Top 10 female role models:
1) Margaret Thatcher (32%)
2) Florence Nightingale (26%)
3) Mother Teresa (25%)
4) Queen Elizabeth II (24%)
5) Opera Winfrey (14%)
6) Michelle Obama/ J.K. Rolling (13%)
7) Joanna Lumley (12%)
8) Anne Frank (11%)
9) Condoleezza Rice (9%)
10) Founder of the Body Shop cosmetics chain Anita Roddick/ Feminist author Germaine Greer
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