Royal Mail stamp issue to honour ‘Women of Distinction’
By Lynne Miles | 15 October 2008, 00:03
The Royal Mail have issued a special series of stamps to honour six women who “took on the establishment and won”. The stamps feature:
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, both the first female doctor and the first female mayor in England;
- Millicent Garrett Fawcett, President of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies and campaigner for the female vote;
- Claudia Jones, campaigner for black rights and founder of the Notting Hill Carnival;
- Eleanor Rathbone, campaigner for Family Allowances;
- Marie Stopes, pioneer of birth control; and
- Barbara Castle, campaigner for the 1970 Equal Pay Act.
These women are all remarkable not only for their achievements, which were considerable, but for their contribution to bettering the lives of other women.
You can read more information about the stamp issue, and see the designs, here.
(Thanks to Romy for the tip off!)
Have your say
In order to keep this blog as a feminist and friendly space, comments will be subject to some rules. We do not seek to censor debate: the beauty of the internet is that anyone can set up their own blog or website to express their views.
- This blog is a safe and friendly space for feminists and feminist allies. Debate and critique are welcome where it is constructive and deepens analysis or understanding. Anti-feminist comments will not be approved. We get to decide what's anti-feminist.
- All comments must be approved by one of the bloggers. For this reason, there may be a delay before your comment appears.
- No sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, ablist comments, comments which make personal attacks on any blogger or commenter, or comments that are otherwise deemed offensive by us will be posted.
- Trolls will be banned from commenting. We get to decide who is a troll.
- No anonymous comments - please feel free to use your real name or make one up, though.
- Be nice.
Feeds
Laura said:
There's a wonderful story about Elizabeth and Millicent Garrett and a friend of theirs, whose name I'm afraid escapes me, sitting at the Garrett's home planning how they would change the world. After some discussion, their friend turned to the sisters and said: "That's decided then. I will work on opening the universities up to women, Elizabeth, you take on medicine. Millie, since you're the youngest, you will have to take on the vote."
No idea if there's any truth in it - I very much doubt there is, it has the ring of being just one of those stories people tell, but I always liked it.
Posted on 16 October 2008 at 11:09 PM
Lynne Miles said:
I love that story!
Posted on October 17, 2008 1:08 AM
Cara said:
Ha!
I actually didn't realise they were sisters...had heard of Elizabeth Garrett *Anderson*.
Anyway.
Yay stamps with women on them! No more generic women/ invisibility!
Posted on 17 October 2008 at 12:39 PM
Laura said:
Come to think of it, it's a shame the Fawcett Society is called the Fawcett Society rather than the Garrett Society... Henry Fawcett was great and an impeccable feminist, but it seems a shame that the society honours Millicent Garratt Fawcett's married name rather than her original name.
Posted on 24 October 2008 at 6:37 PM
Lara said:
i'm so glad you blogged the stamps... I was very excited when I heard about them.
Posted on 28 October 2008 at 9:32 AM
Lynne Miles said:
It's almost enough to tempt one to philately ....
Posted on October 28, 2008 5:28 PM
Dermot said:
Why are we honouring Marie Stopes? She was a fan of Hitler, a racist, into eugenics, and promoting abortion. Now remind me, just why are we honouring this person with a stamp?
Posted on 20 October 2009 at 11:41 AM