A few years ago in the run up to the publication of my debut novel Secrets of the Henna Girl, I was asked to provide a list of female role models as part of the publicity drive on the blogosphere. As my novel was about a British girl who stands up for herself against the odds –and wins, my publicist thought it would be interesting to list the women who have inspired me enough to write a story about defending human rights.

History is full of empowered female figures that have stood up to tyrants and oppressive systems and won despite living in extremely patriarchal times. But who were the more modern day heroines who deserved to be in a list with the likes of Rosa Parks known as the “First Lady of Civil Rights”?

One of the obvious candidates was of course Aung San Suu Kyi, the tireless campaigner for democracy and human rights in her home country of Burma, now known as Myanmar

READ MORE HERE:   http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/myanmar-burma-aung-san-suu-kyi-rohingya-rakhine-human-rights-role-model-a7930176.html