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In celebration of International Women's Day, Leichhardt's Mayor, Kristine Cruden, today launched Council's Significant Women Postcard, at an afternoon tea at Leichhardt Town Hall. Significant Women, an initiative of the Mayor, was designed to celebrate the achievements of women in the local area. Announced last year on International Women's Day, the project aimed to find and honour women past and present, who have fought to improve the lives of other women. "Today marks the culmination of this exciting project. A small working group of women from our community were invited to help council select from the community's nominations, four women who would be featured on our postcard series - Significant Women", the Mayor said. "The working group was made up of myself, Lyn Lormer from the Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre, Carmen Lavezzari from FILEF, Gail Hewison from the feminist bookshop, Kathryn Farrawell a Glebe resident and Councillor Sue Stock. "Council commissioned the images and stories of the four finalists into a beautifully designed postcard which will be distributed free of charge across the municipality and the Sydney metropolitan area. "The following women were chosen, by the working group, on the basis of the lasting contributions they made and the opportunities they created for women not only in our area but across the country. Maybanke Anderson
Eva Cox
Edna Ryan
Shannon Simons
"Leichhardt Council has always championed women's rights and this postcard project is a fitting way to celebrate not only the solidarity and achievements of these four local women, but all women, past and present who have fought so hard to improve the lives of other women", Cr Cruden said. Contact Leichhardt Council |
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Maybanke
Anderson owned and edited a newspaper, The Woman's Voice,
in 1894. She campaigned tirelessly and successfully for
the right for Australian women to vote, for fair property
and divorce laws, free kindergartens and children's
playgrounds, adult sex education and for Federation. To
support her family as a single parent she founded a
school, which was noted for its high standards.
Eva Cox was born in Vienna just before
Hitler took over. As a refugee in Australia she became a
feminist. She is an unbridled critic of society and
women's prospects in it. Working as an academic, director
of government and non-government bodies, organisations
and an observer, she is called on to participate in key
debates on social policy, feminism and power. Her ABC
Boyer lectures were a catalyst for reflection on the need
for social change in Australia. She was awarded an AO in
the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Edna
Ryan lived for 92 years and made the most of them as a
political activist and participant in social and cultural
events. When she died in 1997, those who had loved and
worked with her set up the Edna Ryan Awards to recognise
women who are prepared to make their lives political and
live them to the full. Edna was loved and respected by a
multitude of women who continue her work through the Women's Electoral Lobby of which she was a vital
promoter.
Shannon
Simons founded the Leichhardt Women's Community Health
Centre in 1974. She remained on the board until 1997,
contributing the same energy and motivation with which
she fought for the centre for over twenty years.
