South London Women Artists April 2014 | Page 32

invited by Izzi Ramsay Pioneer in fighting for a woman’s freedom to choose if, when or how many children to have. In 1921 she set up family planning clinics, affecting many areas of women’s lives, including reductions in infant mortality, maternal mortality and family poverty; improvements were realised in women’s health, education and careers. The 1960s introduction of the oral contraceptive pill was a further breakthrough for women’s independence. Marie Stopes International now provides family planning clinics worldwide. Marie Stopes Marriage can never reach its full stature until women possess as much intellectual freedom and freedom of opportunity within it 2F