PARIS, March 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

British women have named Margaret Thatcher as most inspirational female trailblazer in a new poll for Kellogg's Special K.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140307/673988 )

The former Prime Minister - Britain's only female PM to date - came top in the survey which asked women who and what inspires them.

The Iron Lady, who died in April last year, beat The Queen - who finished in fourth place - as well as Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey, who were second and third respectively.

In a list that mixes politics and culture, JK Rowling, Angela Merkel, Aung San Suu Kyi, Madonna and the Spice Girls all featured, together with Pakistani education advocate Malala Yousafzai.

Despite citing strong female role models, British women do not believe they will have equal opportunities in education, health and justice for another two decades, according to the poll.

More than three quarters (79%) of the 1,108 women polled said they do not believe gender equality yet exists, with most naming 2030 as the earliest when it is likely to be a reality.  Almost a third (32%) said they do not believe gender equality will ever exist.

Less than a fifth (17%) correctly identified that just four of the FTSE 100 companies are run by a female chief executive, with one in 10 women believing there are none.

But British women do believe there have been some inspiring moments during the 21^st century - the top two being:

• The English Monarchy scrapping the 300-year old rule that only first-born boys could take the throne
• Young Pakistani education advocate Malala Yousafzai continuing to speak out about girls' rights to education, after being shot by the Taliban in October 2012

The news marks the launch of a partnership between Kellogg's Special K and CHIME FOR CHANGE, the global campaign to raise funds and awareness for girls' and women's empowerment founded by Gucci, Beyoncé Carter Knowles, Frida Giannini and Salma Hayek Pinault.

Kellogg's Special K will help drive the CHIME FOR CHANGE forward with a unique "25/25/25" pledge which aims to share the campaign with 25m households in Europe, inspire 250,000 voices to "chime in" and join the movement and help improve the lives of 25,000 women and girls around the world in health, education and justice.

CHIME FOR CHANGE Co-Founder Salma Hayek Pinault said: "This collaborative partnership with Kellogg's Special K marks a significant moment for CHIME FOR CHANGE as we continue to drive awareness of girls' and women's empowerment among millions of households across the world. CHIME is giving girls and women everywhere a platform to unite, and through strategic collaborations, their voices are getting louder and our fight against inequality and injustice even stronger."

In the UK, the Top 10 most inspirational female trailblazers were named as:

1. Margaret Thatcher
2. Hillary Clinton
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. The Queen
5. JK Rowling
6. Angela Merkel
7. Aung San Suu Kyi
8. Malala Yousafzai
9. Madonna
10. The Spice Girls

ENDS

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SOURCE Kellogg’s