Ireland

Vicky Phelan named among BBC’s 100 most inspiring women for 2018

100 Women list also names Lisa McGee, writer of Channel 4 comedy ‘Derry Girls’

Vicky Phelan with her husband Jim, daughter Amelia and son Darragh, after turning on the Christmas lights in Limerick on Sunday. Photograph: Sean Curtin True Media

Mon Nov 19 2018 - 21:52

Vicky Phelan, who highlighted the CervicalCheck scandal, has been named by the BBC as one of its 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world in 2018.

Ms Phelan, a mother of two from Limerick, settled a High Court action for €2.5 million last April against a US-based laboratory sub-contracted by CervicalCheck to read smear tests.

She took the proceedings after it emerged her 2011 smear test, which showed no abnormalities, was found, in a 2014 audit of smear tests on a number of women, to be incorrect. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014 but did not learn of the review or audit until 2017.

It later emerged that 221 women were not informed of an audit which revised their earlier, negative smear tests.

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The controversy led to the report by Prof Gabriel Scally in September outlining failures by the State's health services.

Ranging in age from 15 to 94, and from more than 60 countries, the BBC 100 Women list includes “leaders, trailblazers and everyday heroes”.

The alphabetical list also names Northern Irish playwright Lisa McGee (38), the writer and creator of Derry Girls, Channel 4's most-watched comedy since 2004.

Full list (Irish bolded)

1) Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, 33 – Social impact entrepreneur, Nigeria.
2) Esraa al-Shafei, 32 – Executive director of not for profit Majal.org, Bahrain.
3) Svetlana Alekseeva, 18 – Model, Russia.
4) Lizt Alfonso, 51 – Director and choreographer, Cuba.
5) Nimco Ali, 35 – Writer and activist, Somaliland.
6) Isabel Allende, 76 – Author, Peru.
7) Boushra Yahya Almutawakel, 49 – Artist, photographer and activist, Yemen.
8) Alina Anisimova, 19 – Student programmer, Kyrgyzstan.
9) Frances Arnold, 62 – Professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering and biochemistry, US.
10) Uma Devi Badi, 54 – MP, Nepal.
11) Judith Balcazar, 65 – Retired fashion designer, UK.
12) Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista, 28 – Lawyer, Peru.
13) Leyla Belyalova, 61 – University lecturer, Uzbekistan.
14) Analia Bortz, 51 – Doctor, rabbi and bioethicist, Argentina.
15) Fealofani Bruun, 35 – Yachtmaster, Samoa.
16) Raneen Bukhari, 31 – Curator and social media manager, Saudi Arabia.
17) Joy Buolamwini, 28 – AI artist/researcher, Canada.
18) Barbara Burton, 62 – CEO of BehindBras, UK.
19) Tamara Cheremnova, 62 – Author, Russia.
20) Chelsea Clinton, 38 – Vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation, US.
21) Stacey Cunningham, 44 – President, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Group, US.
22) Jenny Davidson, 50 – CEO of Stand Up Placer, US.
23) Asha de Vos, 39 – Marine biologist, Sri Lanka.
24) Gabriella Di Laccio, 44 – Soprano and founder of DONNE: Women in Music, Brazil.
25) Xiomara Diaz, 34 – Entrepreneur, restaurant owner and charity founder, Nicaragua.
26) Noma Dumezweni, 49 – Actor, eSwatini (formerly known as Swaziland).
27) Chidera Eggerue, 23 – Blogger - 'Slumflower', UK.
28) Shrouk El-Attar, 26 – Electronic design engineer, Egypt.
29) Nicole Evans, 44 – Online retail sales facilitator, UK.
30) Raghda Ezzeldin, 26 – Free-diver, Egypt.
31) Mitra Farazandeh, 42 – Artist, Iran.
32) Mamitu Gashe, 72 – Senior nurse aide/fistula surgeon, Ethiopia.
33) Meena Gayen, 36 – Business owner, India.
34) G.E.M., 27 – Singer-songwriter, China.
35) Fabiola Gianotti, 58 – Particle physicist, Italy.
36) Julia Gillard, 57 – Former Australian prime minister, UK.
37) Elena Gorolova, 49 – Social worker, Czech Republic.
38) Randi Heesoo Griffin, 30 – Olympic hockey player and data scientist, US.
39) Janet Harbick, 33 – Altruistic surrogate and tanning consultant, Canada.
40) Jessica Hayes, 41 – Teacher, US.
41) Thando Hopa, 29 – Model, lawyer, activist, South Africa.
42) Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, 35 – Environmentalist and advocate for indigenous people and women, Chad.
43) Reyhan Jamalova, 16 – Student and entrepreneur, Azerbaijan.
44) Jameela Jamil, 32 – Actress, writer, activist, host, UK.
45) Liz Johnson, 32 – Paralympian and entrepreneur, UK.
46) Lao Khang, 26 – Rugby player and coach, Laos.
47) Joey Mead King, 44 – Model, Philippines.
48) Krishna Kumari, 40 – Politician, Pakistan.
49) Marie Laguerre, 22 – Civil engineer and architecture student, France.
50) Veasna Chea Leth, 44 – Lawyer, Cambodia.
51) Ana Graciela Sagastume Lopez, 38 – Prosecutor, El Salvador.
52) Maria Corina Machado, 51 – Political leader, Venezuela.
53) Nanaia Mahuta, 48 – Minister of Maori development, New Zealand.
54) Sakdiyah Maruf, 36 – Stand-up comedian, Indonesia.
55) Lisa McGee, 38 – Writer, Ireland/UK.
56) Kirsty McGurrell, 30 – Charity co-ordinator, UK.
57) Becki Meakin, 52 – General manager of Shaping Our Lives, UK.
58) Ruth Medufia, 27 – Metal worker, Ghana.
59) Larisa Mikhaltsova, 66 – Model and music teacher, Ukraine.
60) Amina J Mohammed, 57 – Deputy secretary general, United Nations, Nigeria.
61) Yanar Mohammed, 58 – President of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), Iraq.
62) Joseline Esteffania Velasquez Morales, 26 – Student and NGO co-ordinator, Guatemala.
63) Robin Morgan, 77 – Author and activist, US.
64) Nujeen Mustafa, 19 – Student, Syria.
65) Dima Nashawi, 38 – Artist, Syria.
66) Helena Ndume, 58 – Ophthalmologist, Namibia.
67) Kelly O'Dwyer, 41 – Member of Parliament, Australia.
68) Yuki Okoda, 23 – Astronomer, Japan.
69) Olivette Otele, 48 – Professor in History at Bath Spa University, Cameroon.
70) Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, 56 – Mayor of Mexico City, Mexico.
71) Park Soo-yeon, 22 – Digital campaigner, South Korea.
72) Ophelia Pastrana, 36 – Comedian and media personality, Colombia.
73) Viji Penkoottu, 50 – Activist, India.
74) Brigitte Sossou Perenyi, 28 – Documentary producer, Ghana.
75) Vicky Phelan, 44 – Educational manager, Ireland.
76) Rahibi Soma Popere, 55 – Farmer and founder of the Seed Bank, India.
77) Valentina Quintero, 64 – Journalist, Venezuela.
78) Sam Ross, 30 – Catering assistant, UK.
79) Fatma Samoura, 56 – Fifa secretary general, Senegal.
80) Juliet Sargeant, 53 – Garden designer, Tanzania.
81) Sima Sarkar, 44 – Full-time mother, Bangladesh.
82) Shaparak Shajarizadeh, 43 – Activist, Iran.
83) Haven Shepherd, 15 – Student and swimmer, Vietnam.
84) Nenney Shushaidah Binti Shamsuddin, 42 – Judge, Malaysia.
85) Hayat Sindi, [age undisclosed] – Chief scientific adviser to the president of the Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Arabia.
86) Jacqueline Straub, 28 – Theologian, journalist and author, Germany.
87) Donna Strickland, 59 – Professor of physics, Canada.
88) Kanpassorn Suriyasangpetch, 30 - Dentist/tech entrepreneur, Thailand.
89) Setsuko Takamizawa, 90 – Retired, Japan.
90) Nargis Taraki, 21 – NGO legal adviser, Afghanistan.
91) Ellen Tejle, 34 – CEO at media house Fanzingo, Sweden.
92) Helen Taylor Thompson, 94 – Former spy and charity founder, UK.
93) Bola Tinubu, 51 – Lawyer, Nigeria.
94) Errollyn Wallen, 60 – Composer, Belize.
95) Safiya Wazir, 27 – Community activist, Afghanistan.
96) Gladys West, 88 – Mathematician, USA.
97) Luo Yang, 34 – Photographer, China.
98) Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick, 37 – Fashion designer and motorcyclist, Iran.
99) Tashi Zangmo, 55 – Executive director for the Bhutan Nuns Foundation, Bhutan.
100) Jing Zhao, 35 – Entrepreneur, China.

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