A recent report stated that girls needed to look at Shakespearian heroines as their role models, rather than the likes to today's reality TV stars.

Business Argus asked local business people who their role models were...

Sarah Case, director at Broomfield & Alexander

Right now it's pretty hard to beat the FLOTUS, or Michelle Obama as she’s more commonly known. Although the Obamas are getting ready to vacate the White House, their legacy has had, and will continue to have, a great impact on America and the rest of the world. Along with her role as the first lady, as a wife and, most importantly, as a mother, Michelle Obama has harnessed her power to focus on initiatives and projects across the globe to benefit others, but specifically women and children. Such initiatives have included tackling childhood obesity, providing worldwide programs for adolescent girls to receive a quality education and supporting veterans and members of the armed services. She has embraced her influential position to make positive changes for her country, while maintaining a family life and inspiring millions of women along the way.

Erin Davies, M4 Property Consultants, Newport

As Jane Lunnon says in the original report – Shakespeare is a great source for intellectual stimulation and exploration. His plays deal with issues and experiences that are just as relevant to us today. His female protagonists are very normal and real people – harder to find today due to the masks social media allows us to hide behind. Who and what ‘role models’ are is largely subjective and constantly changing, reflecting where society is at any particular time. Personally, anyone obsessed with image or material wealth is not a role model to me. I get more inspired by people who are kind, empathetic, genuine, passionate and hardworking and would celebrate anyone, male or female, who shows those characteristics.

Kelli Aspland, Solar Buddies, Cwmbran

Girls should have Shakespearean female characters as role models. Mine is Beatrice from Much Ado about Nothing. She is a strong-willed, independent lady with a feisty edge, who fights for what she believes in in a male dominated era. She is still very relevant as that is something most women still have to do in this day and age unfortunately.