Leading Women’s most inspiring women of 2014

Phoebe Parke, for CNN
Updated 7:46 AM EST, Tue January 27, 2015
<strong>Malala Yousafzai -- </strong>Joint recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize for her ongoing fight for a girl's right to education. She is a leading spokesperson for women's rights, and is setting an example for women and girls around the globe.
The women of the year —
Malala Yousafzai -- Joint recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize for her ongoing fight for a girl's right to education. She is a leading spokesperson for women's rights, and is setting an example for women and girls around the globe.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images/File
<strong>Emma Watson</strong> -- The actress of Harry Potter fame became the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and used her speech to the UN to call for gender equality and for women and men alike to reclaim "feminism" to benefit all.
The women of the year —
Emma Watson -- The actress of Harry Potter fame became the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and used her speech to the UN to call for gender equality and for women and men alike to reclaim "feminism" to benefit all.
Courtesy Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
<strong>Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani </strong>-- Professor of mathematics at <a href="http://mathematics.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Stanford University</a>, in 2014 Mirzakhani became the first female to have ever been awarded the <a href="http://www.mathunion.org/general/prizes/2014" target="_blank" target="_blank">Fields Medal</a> -- the most prestigious prize in mathematics -- for her " outstanding contributions to the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces."
The women of the year —
Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani -- Professor of mathematics at Stanford University, in 2014 Mirzakhani became the first female to have ever been awarded the Fields Medal -- the most prestigious prize in mathematics -- for her " outstanding contributions to the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces."
<strong>Kurdish female fighters </strong>-- The young fighters depicted are in training with the Kurdish Women's Defense Units (YPJ). The female fighters have trained for many years but this year have become notable for their courageous role in the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The women of the year —
Kurdish female fighters -- The young fighters depicted are in training with the Kurdish Women's Defense Units (YPJ). The female fighters have trained for many years but this year have become notable for their courageous role in the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Courtesy BENJAMIN HILLER/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Gemma Mortensen</strong> -- Executive Director of <a href="https://crisisaction.org/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Crisis Action</a> who work behind the scenes for the protection of civilians in war zones. "You'll hear very little about the work they're doing but it's right at the heart of the issues that matter," says CNN corespondent <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/elbagir.nima.html">Nima Elbagir</a> who nominated Mortensen. "Gemma has helped take Crisis Action from a two person office to its 10 year anniversary this year and she shows no signs of slowing down"
The women of the year —
Gemma Mortensen -- Executive Director of Crisis Action who work behind the scenes for the protection of civilians in war zones. "You'll hear very little about the work they're doing but it's right at the heart of the issues that matter," says CNN corespondent Nima Elbagir who nominated Mortensen. "Gemma has helped take Crisis Action from a two person office to its 10 year anniversary this year and she shows no signs of slowing down"
<strong>Susi Pudjiastuti</strong> -- Indonesian Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs. "She is not your average government minister." says CNN corespondent <a href="https://twitter.com/atikacnn" target="_blank" target="_blank">Atika Shubert</a> who nominated her. "In 2004 when the South Asian tsunami devastated the province of Acehand, she volunteered her company's aircraft to fly in supplies to areas closest to the epicentre. Plus, she's got a wicked tattoo."
The women of the year —
Susi Pudjiastuti -- Indonesian Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs. "She is not your average government minister." says CNN corespondent Atika Shubert who nominated her. "In 2004 when the South Asian tsunami devastated the province of Acehand, she volunteered her company's aircraft to fly in supplies to areas closest to the epicentre. Plus, she's got a wicked tattoo."
Courtesy BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Mary Lee Berners-Lee</strong> -- Computer programmer and astronomer who helped give the world the Ferranti Mark 1 machine. Mother of World Wide Web founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee. "When I <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/27/business/success-mothers-dos-santos/">interviewed Mary Lee</a>, I was surprised by her modesty." says CNN's <a href="https://twitter.com/ndossantoscnn" target="_blank" target="_blank">Nina Dos Santos</a> who nominated her. "This is a woman who put her skills to work for her country during the war and felt no shame in taking a career break after four kids, only to reinvent herself as a math teacher."
The women of the year —
Mary Lee Bern