Wonderful Welsh Women

Our campaign celebrates inspiring role models for women in Wales.

#6

Tahirah Ali - People’s Choice Award

2000
Community Volunteer, Youth Ambassador and Diversity Champion

Tahirah has been volunteering with Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team (EYST) Wales for over 5 years now, whilst contributing to the community and enjoying every minute of it. From play schemes to homework club, working with different community groups, she feels this has shaped her as a young individual.

#6

Vernesta Cyril OBE

1943
Founder of the South East Wales Race Equality Council

The 2006 Midwife of the year, Vernesta Cyril was born in St Lucia but left in 1962 to follow a career in nursing and midwifery in the UK.

Over the course of 30 years, she delivered more than 2000 babies and was recognised for her service in 2006 when she won UK Midwife of the Year.

#4

Elin Jones MS

1966
Presiding Officer of the Senedd

A Welsh politician, who has represented Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru as a Member of the Senedd since 1999, and has been the Presiding Officer of the Senedd since 2016. Elin was a member of Aberystwyth Town Council from 1992 until 1999 and she was the youngest Mayor of Aberystwyth during the 1997-98 term. On 9 July 2007, the One Wales Government was formed and Elin was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs. She is now the Presiding Officer for the Welsh Parliament.

#3

Caryl Parry Jones

1958
Welsh singer-songwriter, broadcaster, actress and composer.

Caryl's solo singing and television careers began in the 80s. She became a presenter of children's programmes and soon became a firm favourite with the Welsh public.

Currently Caryl co-presents BBC Radio Cymru 2’s Breakfast Show and appears regularly in gigs where she performs her own material (she has released 5 albums of her own) as well as arrangements of more familiar songs and mixes the music with her own brand of comedy.

#2

Kate Bosse-Griffiths

1910 — 1998
German-born Egyptologist and Welsh language writer

Kate Bosse-Griffiths, made a unique contribution to twentieth-century Welsh literature and is remembered as an eminent Welsh Egyptologist.

Born 16 June 1910 she gained a doctorate in Classics and Egyptology in 1935 from the University of Munich.

#1

Betsi Cadwaladr

1789 — 1860
Nurse, Pioneer, Namesake to Wales' largest Health Board

Elizabeth (Betsi) Cadwaladr is synonymous with the largest health organisation in Wales, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Born 24 May 1789, in Llanycil, near Bala, Betsi grew up on Pen Rhiw Farm and was one of 16 children. Her mother died when she was 5. Betsi worked as a nurse in the Crimean War alongside Florence Nightingale.

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