"We have come a long way since then, but women are still undervalued. For every 80p they earn a man in a similar position earns £1." Ms Mills is regarded as a pioneer for her work on race and equality issues. "When I started in the TUC movement it was easier to say you had a problem with your car than with your child," she said. "It takes them longer to believe they have the experience to move on." When she was in the force, she added, there was a lack of role models for a young woman moving up through the ranks. 8 Gloria Mills PRESIDENT OF THE TUC Last month Gloria Mills became the first black woman president of the Trades Union Congress.
"Women make great bosses because they are kinder and commercially more holistic," she said. "They look at the whole picture and are great multi-taskers." 7 Pauline Clare EXECUTIVE COACH Formerly the first female chief constable of a British police force, Pauline Clare is now helping others to find success in their careers. When with the Lancashire force she noticed that women were less likely to push for promotion. "Being a woman poker player in a male environment was difficult as first," said Ms Burnett, 28. "It can be aggressive, and men think the women are easy to bully." Determination and an appearance on 'Late Night Poker' on television helped her to gain acceptance.
An operation that began in her back garden is now an award-winning organic business. 6 Jekka McVicar HERB GARDENER Jekka McVicar provides greenery training for chefs starting out in Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant in London. Soon she had gained a pilot's licence and was training to fly airliners She is now flying Boeing 777s "The cockpit is run by me I set the tone There is no ego as far as I am concerned. You have to get the most out of all on board to make the flight smooth." 5 Eliza Burnett POKER PLAYER Ms Burnett's passion for cards has led to her editing the poker pages of a sports newspaper She has also set up a website (pokergirluk com) for women. " I come from Bangladesh and have a Muslim family background Boys and girls were not equally treated. I overcame it because both my parents believed in equality." 4 Barbara Harmer BRITISH AIRWAYS CAPTAIN Within 20 years Barbara Harmer went from being a hairdresser to flying Concorde across the Atlantic, after entering aviation through air-traffic control.