Activism Archives - Page 292 of 316

Lois Curtis

Lois Curtis was one of the plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court case Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) that established the right of individuals with disabilities to live in the least restrictive settings possible.

Judy Heumann

Judith “Judy” Heumann was a part of almost every pivotal moment in the disability rights movement. Considered “the mother” of the movement, she was a tireless advocate for the disabled community.

Matilda Joslyn Gage

Famously referred to as “the woman who was ahead of the women who were ahead of their time,” author, activist, and lecturer Matilda Joslyn Gage worked tirelessly to advocate for abolition, women’s rights, and Native American rights.

Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue

In 1989, Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue became the first woman chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

Alice Erh-Soon Tay

Among the highlights of Tay’s distinguished career as an academic lawyer at the University of Sydney was her appointment as president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), a position she occupied from 1998 to 2003.

Jessie Spinks Rooke

Jessie Rooke was a leader in both the temperance and suffrage campaigns in Tasmania, where the legislature enacted the women’s vote in 1903, the year after the passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act.

Lillias Skene

Described as ‘well known among the women who count in Melbourne life’, Skene’s particular focus was on improving the welfare of women and children.

Clara Weekes

Physician and zoologist Clara Weekes was the first woman to earn a doctorate of science at the University of Sydney, and a long-time advocate for women’s rights.

Lena Matewai Ruru

After her father’s death in 1943 Lena and her brother Eru continued his work, dealing with numerous issues affecting Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki and Te Whānau-a-Taupara land and the Mangatū blocks. She became one of the first women to chair a Māori block committee (Whaitiri No 2), and served on the East Coast Māori Trust Council.

Zina Cumbrae-Stewart

Cumbrae-Stewart was a foundation member and president of the Mothers’ Union, long-term president of the National Council of Women in Queensland, and, in 1931, co-founder of the Queensland Social Services League, as well as holding executive positions in Red Cross and more than 20 other community organisations.