Women You Should Know
When you think of influential women throughout history, there are some names
that just roll off the tongue – from Rosa Parks to Oprah Winfrey, Marie Curie to
Florence Nightingale.
Their names are synonymous with change. But when we look into the past, there are so many women that have
affected the course of history. Whose actions have a direct impact on our lives today. Here are 6 you might not
know.
Emmaline Pankhurst – Leader of the Suffragettes
Founded in 1903, the Women’s Social and Political Union focused on British women gaining
the right to vote (suffrage). Starting off as a peaceful movement, the Unions tactics soon
changed to ‘militant’ (window-breaking and vandalism) after being disappointed when bills to
include women’s suffrage failed to advance in 1910 and 1911. It took a further 17 years for
women to be given full voting rights on July 2, 1928. Unfortunately, Emmaline Pankhurst died
on June 14 of that year.
Margaret Sanger – Sex Education Pioneer
Born in 1879 in Corning, New York, Margaret Sanger was a lifelong advocate for women
having the right to choose if and when they became a mother. Her passion to educate and
empower women saw her smuggle diaphragms into the US from England, open the first
birth control clinic in the US, establish the American Birth Control League (which became
today’s Planned Parenthood Federation) and secure funding, research and development for
the first oral contraceptive.
Edith Cowan O.B.E. – Australia’s First Woman Parliamentarian
You might recognise her from the $50 note, but Edith Cowan was a leading advocate for
women’s rights in Australia. In 1921 she became the first woman member of an Australian
parliament. During her time, she promoted migrant welfare, infant health centres and
women’s rights. She was also responsible for getting women to be recognised in the legal
profession.
Evelyn Scott AO – Indigenous Rights Activist
Campaigning for over a decade, Evelyn Scott was a leading figure that saw the most
successful referendum in history change the constitution to recognise Indigenous
Australians. Given that Aboriginal Australians arrived here from Africa some 75,000 years
ago, it took until 1967 for their recognition under Federal law. The Yes vote also allowed
Aboriginal Australians to be recognised in census data. Interestingly, the 1967 referendum
was not about the right to vote. Most states amended this in 1962.
Wilhelmina (Mina) Wylie and Sarah (Fanny) Durack – Olympic Swimming Superstars
It’s hard to think of Australia not smashing it in the pool at the Olympics. However, women
were only allowed to start competing at the 1912 games in Stockholm. When Wylie and
Durack weren’t selected in the team to travel to Stockholm, the Australian rules had to be
changed to allow females to swim in the presence of men! There was also the problem that
‘there wasn’t enough funds to send female competitors’. Somehow the money was raised, the
women went, world records were broken, and gold was won. The rest is, as they say, history.
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