New study reveals women juggling 14 different roles in daily life

The average Northern Irish woman now juggles an impressive 14 different roles within her daily life, including wife, mother, homeowner, bargain hunter and handyman through to sports fan, stylist and socialite.

Despite this and rapid advances in the workplace, Northern Irish women are still unlikely to show their true characters at work.

Just two per cent reveal their real personality to their bosses and are completely open with their colleagues.

Northern Irish women feel they are most spirited and their true selves when they are having fun with loved ones.

Women today are increasingly making their voices heard online as one in ten claim social media such as Twitter and Facebook is as major a milestone for women as getting the vote.

More than half (54 per cent) feel the freedom to wear what they want was a turning point for modern women – from trousers becoming more commonplace in the late 20th Century to the fashion defining mini-skirt of the 1960s.

Findings from the new in-depth study of 4,000 women are in stark contrast to expectations even a generation ago when women were limited to a handful of pre-defined duties and stereotypes.

But contemporary women are taking their inspiration from heroines of the past to shape their future as the study shows one of Northern Ireland’s top five most spirited women include Florence Nightingale.

Confidence (71 per cent), intelligence (59 per cent), and strength of character (59 per cent) were top of the list when it comes to defining today’s spirited woman in Northern Ireland, along with possessing an inner beauty (45 percent).

Helen Mirren, Margaret Thatcher and Nigella Lawson were voted the top three most spirited women of all time by females in Northern Ireland, alongside Florence Nightingale and Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind.

Tessa Dunlop, cultural historian and writer, commented: “Over the last 60 years women have seen their roles expand unrecognisably from the traditional stay-at-home figure. More money in women’s pockets and an increased degree of independence has provided them with more options, as both professionals and consumers. The female character has been revolutionised. “Women are embracing more roles than ever before – from Adele effortlessly juggling her singer/songwriter persona with that of being a new mother, businesswomen and partner, to Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook and inspirational business woman.”

The more unexpected choices on the top 100 list included the UK’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Spice Girl turned fashion mogul Victoria Beckham.

Bryony Stickells, Baileys Marketing Manager, commented: “With this study we wanted to celebrate today’s multi-tasking woman, her values and diamond-like multifaceted qualities. Women have so many different sides to themselves, each giving them additional edge and sparkle.

“It’s no wonder that iconic women are inspiring us to succeed every day but also, most importantly to be ourselves and be proud of that. Giving a nod to the most inspirational women of all time has been a great way to mark the launch of our redesigned bottle and new era for Baileys.

“We created one of the world’s first liqueurs for women nearly 40 years ago and it is no coincidence that the Baileys we know today, its bottle and its heritage have evolved to epitomise the modern day woman.”

In celebration of the top 100 spirited women, Baileys commissioned Darren Fitzsimons to immortalise (albeit temporarily) some of the world’s most iconic women in ice – giving the nation a chance to literally have a drink with these inspirational characters.