Apparently one of the Women of the Year is… Bono

Apparently there weren’t enough women making important achievements this year, because U2 singer Bono has just won a Woman of the Year award.

Glamour Magazine included the popstar in its annual list honouring female achievements, making him the first man to ever receive the honour.

“We’ve talked for years about whether to honour a man at Women of the Year and we’ve always kind of put the kabash on it,” said Cindi Leive, Glamour’s editor-in-chief.

“You know, men get a lot of awards and aren’t exactly hurting in the celebration and honours department.

“But it started to seem that that might be an outdated way of looking at things, and there are so many men who really are doing wonderful things for women these days.

“Some men get it and Bono is one of those guys.”

Bono is obviously well known for his advocacy and charity work, and last year established the ‘Poverty is Sexist’ campaign to highlight the fact that women tend to be worse affected by poverty.

Last year he also came out publicly in favour of same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland, calling marriage “an idea that transcends religion.”

Still, even he’s sceptical that he deserves to win the award.

“I’m sure I don’t deserve it,” he said. “But I’m grateful for this award as a chance to say the battle for gender equality can’t be won unless men lead it along with women.”

Alongside Bono, the actual women recognised this year include Gwen Stefani, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, former Disney star Zendaya, and the anonymous rape victim of former Stanford University athlete Brock Turner.

Fashion designer Miuccia Prada, IMF chief Christine Lagarde, ISIS kidnap survivor Nadia Murad, model and body activist Ashley Graham, and Black Lives Matter activists Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi were also honoured.

Glamour also drew controversy last year when it recognised a trans woman in the list for the first time after it included Caitlyn Jenner as one of its Women of the Year.

That move even prompted the husband of a late 9/11 hero to return her posthumous Woman of the Year award, calling Jenner’s inclusion “a slap in the face.”

Bono and this year’s other honourees will be recognised at a ceremony on November 14.

• Dec 01 2023

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