1) Big up an awesome woman who’s in your life right now.
Like @HuwJones obvious choice is my amazing Wife and I’m selecting her. I’ve been married to her longer than I lived at home with Mom, so it makes sense to talk her up. She’s the bravest woman I know. Most people, given her situation would take the easy way out, and no one would say a thing, because some things are just so daunting and unscalable. Not my Wife! She doesn’t give up, she perseveres and makes the world better one person at a time. She’s amazing!
2) Name a woman who’s had a strong influence on your life and tell us why.
This is easy, my Daughter. She’s not quite a woman, but all too soon time will fix that…it moves regrettably fast when you’re the parent of a teenager. Just when I think I have life figured out, my Daughter says, “Daddy…” or does something and now I say, “Wow! Okay. I need to think about this for awhile. Old ideas are just that…old…and don’t apply to the present anymore.” She’s rapidly becoming her own person and probably has more influence on this house than either myself or my Wife. And not just because of slime! 
Although house rules were amended to accommodate slime. I’ve had a nickname for her since she was 3 days old, and it’s, “Bear.” She will make a ton of life choices and have whatever career she wants, but no matter what she does, or how old she is, she will always be my “Bear.”
3) If you could invite any five women to dinner who would they be?
Since this is any five woman, I would pick my Wife, her mother, her grandmother, great-grandmother and great-greatgrandmother, all in their 40’s. I think it would be interesting to have 5 generations of woman talking and enjoying a meal together and see what happens. We have pictures of great-grandmother, but not great-greatgrandmother. Who knows what she looks like?
4) Name one favourite female author, musician, actress, artist…
I’m born, raised and live in the United States and that’s my bias to this question. For an author I chose Michelle Alexander and her book The New Jim Crow <- US Amazon link. Book highlights that despite US Civil Rights laws, Black-Americans are not treated equally and frequently relegated as second class citizens. It’s a thought provoking book and certainly changed my perspective regarding several issues.
For music, I went Welsh and chose the band Adwaith. Great group of young woman and here’s their song Y Diweddaraf
**5)Clearly, there are more opportunities for women today than 40 years ago, but is their ladder to success more challenging because they are female?
It depends on the sector, but generally yes. Old perspectives/opinions and beliefs regarding women still persist. If all things are equal, then no, only the standard obstacles everyone else handles are the blocks to achieving dreams.
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Although house rules were amended to accommodate slime. I’ve had a nickname for her since she was 3 days old, and it’s, “Bear.” She will make a ton of life choices and have whatever career she wants, but no matter what she does, or how old she is, she will always be my “Bear.”