Ethel Emma McMillan

Ethel McMillan was a tireless promoter of her adopted city of Dunedin and helped to pave the way for the increasing numbers of women who were to enter local and national politics from the 1970s.

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Mary Manson Dreaver

In 1941, she won the Waitematā seat in a by-election, becoming the third woman to enter the New Zealand Parliament. Her particular triumph there was to introduce the Women Jurors Bill, which became law in 1942.

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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.

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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.

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‘Mamphono Khaketla

‘Mamphono Khaketla is a Lesotho mathematician who became a lecturer in mathematics at the National Teacher Training College. She has served in the Lesotho government, holding positions such as Minister of Education and Training.

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Margaret Home Sievwright

She wanted economic independence for married women, equal pay, and sex instruction and education for parenthood. She fought for the reform of the marriage and divorce laws, and maintained that prostitution would always exist as long as women lacked equal opportunity in employment. She objected to the stigma of the word ‘illegitimate’. Sievwright worked for disarmament during the South African war (1899–1902), and condemned any project ‘likely to involve Australasia in the participation of warfare’.

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Kathleen Ollerenshaw

Kathleen Ollerenshaw was an English mathematician and educationalist who overcame deafness and went on to become an important political advisor. She was elected Lord Mayor of Manchester.

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Helena Flavia

Saint Helena (247-328), wife of Constantius Chlorus, and mother of Constantine the Great. She won the gratitude of the Christian community by her zeal for the advancement of religion and her acts of piety and munificence.

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