Elizabeth Reid McCombs
Elizabeth McCombs dedicated herself to improving the lot of women and demonstrated that women were the equal of men in political life in New Zealand.
Category Archives: Activism
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Catherine Campbell Stewart
Catherine became the first secretary of the Wellington After-care Association, established to mind intellectually handicapped children, in 1928 and represented it on the National Council of Women of New Zealand. She also became active in the Wellington women’s branch of the New Zealand Labour Party and was the first president of the party’s Melrose–Houghton Bay branch.
Sophie Willock Bryant
Sophie Willock Bryant was an Irish mathematician who also published on many other topics: Irish history, religion, education, women’s rights, and philosophy.
Gloria Hewitt Conyers
Gloria Hewitt is an American mathematician who undertook research in algebra. She became the first African American woman to chair a university mathematics department in the United States.
Laila Soueif
Laila Soueif is an Egyptian mathematician who became a professor of mathematics at Cairo University. She is an activist for human rights and has been involved in many demonstrations including calling for academic freedom at Cairo University.
Marion Hatton
New Zealand suffragist, women’s equality activist and temperance advocate
Frieda Nugel
Frieda Nugel was a German mathematician who was one of the first women to receive a doctorate in Germany.
Helen Benson
Helen Benson founded the New Zealand branch of the Federation of University Women, becoming its first president.She lectured on international affairs for many years, and took a practical interest in the plight of refugees who came to New Zealand in the 1930s. She was a member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand from 1939 to 1948. She was also closely involved with the National Council of Women of New Zealand. In 1933 she strongly supported the adoption of a motion that criticised the lack of financial relief for unemployed women and in 1937 was partly responsible for the council’s taking a sympathetic attitude towards abortion in some circumstances.
Cybele Ethel Kirk
In 1926 Kirk was one of the first four Wellington women to be appointed justice of the peace. She had been president of the Wellington branch of the National Council of Women of New Zealand for several years, and from 1934 to 1937 was president of the national body.
Florence Marie Harsant
Temperance worker, nurse, community leader, writer