Today is International Women's Day, a chance to celebrate the remarkable women who inspire us everyday on Merseyside and beyond.
Falling annually on on March 8, International Women's Day aims to celebrate the cultural, political and social achievements of women everywhere. This year's theme, for the day itself and beyond, is #EmbraceEquity.
Equity means creating a truly inclusive world, and each of us can actively support and "embrace equity" within our own sphere of influence. From entrepreneurs to activists, parents, teachers, health professionals and more - our region is full of incredible women.
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Today, life in Merseyside, like elsewhere around the globe, has changed a lot for women. Now, technology and social media makes it easier for us to connect with one another and follow the lives of our role models - but despite this, a lot of us are still inspired by those closest to us.
If you grew up on Merseyside, you will know Scouse nans have the biggest hearts and for many of us, they're the ones we have always turned to for advice and to hear their words of wisdom. For International Women's Day, we spoke to a number of Scouse nans about what life was like for them growing up in the region and what advice they would pass on to the next generation of women.
Doreen Eden, 76, has two children and one grandchild. At the Deysbrook Village Centre in West Derby, Doreen told the ECHO: "We lived near the docks and of course it was lovely because on our street I lived in number 20 with my mum and dad, my auntie lived in 26 and my nan lived in 30, so we were all so close together.
"When we all moved, it came as a shock, because the aunties and everyone, we never kept in touch with them the same way. I went to school with all my cousins and all that stopped.
"Although the slum clearances were a good thing in some ways, I think it was a bad thing in some ways, I think they should have just tried to do the houses up and keep communities together. It was lovely having a bathroom and all that but it was hard, the difference."
Doreen said that while life could be hard in Liverpool in those days, she didn't feel her childhood was deprived because at that time, it was "the norm." She said: "My mum always said if I have two and six in my pocket at the end of the week, I think I'm lucky.
"She would take my dads suit to the pawn shop on a Monday and she’d get it out from him again on a Friday and then it would go back in again on the Monday. I think mums were too preoccupied with keeping their heads above water to give advice.
"As long as we were safe and well fed and put shoes on our feet, I think my mum and dad were pleased with that. When I was about five or six we got a television, I think we were the only ones in the whole road who had a television and I brought the kids in to watch Andy Pandy. I didn't feel that my childhood was deprived because that was the norm, whereas nowadays some people would see it as deprived."
Doreen said she remembers her role models were her female teachers and that Scouse women are known to make friends and are "never frightened to say what they think." She said: "It's changed tremendously, especially education wise.
"If I had my time again, I always wanted to be a window dresser, but you weren't encouraged back then . My mum and dad just thought as long as you had a job, it didn’t matter.
"My brother worked at Jacobs biscuit factory and they had a wedding cake department and I had done a Christmas cake in school and he got me a job in there. Nobody had a choice then, men did, they could get an apprenticeship etc but not women.
"Today you can take things up later too. My daughter is a barrister and it cost a fortune but we encouraged her. Factories were the norm and shops really of anyone of my generations."
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Doreen' is really close to her only grandchild and loves being nan. She said her advice to the next generation of women on Merseyside would be to work hard and be happy with what you have.
Originally from Huyton, Brenda Browne moved to West Derby over 30 years ago. A mum of two sons and a nan to four, Brenda, 72, told the ECHO: "My mother always believed good food, good shoes and a roof over your head is what you need, but we didn't have any money or niceties.
"We just had a nice family upbringing. I went to the Brownies and things like that, but we didn't do a lot.
My mum was my role model more so than anybody. My mum taught me values in life and how to knit and things like, that. She was always there for me through everything."
Brenda said her advice for the next generation of Merseyside women is to "be independent, make a life for yourself and don't be reliant on anyone." Brenda said: "Women in my era were kind of kept down.
"My life was good, I married my husband and he wasn't that type of person, but a lot of people had that. My mum wasn't encouraged to work whereas I always worked and I was quite independent.
"When I got married I kind of grew into myself more because in the 50s and 60s people were more suppressed. When I look at my daughters-in-law and I see how they get about, they work, they're independent women - they can do anything.
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"Years ago you just did what you were told. If I could come back I'd like to come back as a woman of today."
Brenda said she loves being a Scouse nan and couldn't imagine her life now without her grandchildren. She said she's always encouraged her sons to try something new and hopes to also pass that on to her grandchildren.
Brenda said: "My husband worked in Germany for some time and I said to myself I'm going to give it a go. I got a train by myself, I'd never been anywhere in my life and I've always said to the boys to do things.
"I've always said go out and try something because the things you do you'll never regret and the things you don't you will. You don't want to look back and say I regret not doing that and me and my husband we've encouraged that."
Elaine Gogerty, 71, has lived in Deysbrook for years and has one daughter and three grandchildren. Elaine told the ECHO: "There wasn't as lot of opportunities, women were there to wash the dishes, cook the tea, bring the kids up.
"Then times got tough and as things went on my mother went and worked evenings in Jacobs and when I got a bit older I worked in there, a lot of my family worked in there. It was hard but you didn't complain.
"We had, nothing but we just got on with life. When the weather was cold we had a coal fire and when you'd put it on the fire it would take half an hour to warm up. You could leave your doors open, you could walk home from town, it wasn’t what life is like now."
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Elaine said her mum was her "wonder woman" and that she juggled family life and work. She said: "I looked up to my mother because she had four children and she had nothing and also worked.
"My dad worked and we got one or two presents at Christmas and we were all made up with what we got. We weren't spoilt, we didn't have cars, but we were happy.
"She was just wonder woman as far as I was concerned. My dad never did the decorating my mum did it all and I always remember one day we were sitting there and she was painting and he went mad because it was daylight and the neighbours could have seen her.
"Scouse women - we're known for our cheekiness and we’re dead friendly. Years ago you’d be talking to your neighbours. I think that’s what’s missing now, like the old over the fence chats."
Elaine said her advice to the next generation of women in Merseyside is to "be yourself" and not be materialistic. She said: "Just be honest. Respect one another and just be truthful. Be confident, be chatty and be yourself."
Tilly Johnson, centre manager for Deysbrook Village Centre, added: "I was in Speke for 25 years and it was always about young people, young women and young families but in Deysbrook it’s very very different because we've got the highest rate of single elderly person households in the city.
"I think we disregard people because of age instead of sharing their experiences and learning from them, that’s what we really should do. We have to share these women's stories because quite often they are bringing up this current generation because quite often not only have they given birth to their own children, they are often second generation parents to their grandchildren.
"What we learn from these women will be passed on and stay with us and we shouldn’t disregard this generation." To find out more about the Deysbrook Village Centre, click here.
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