Olga Humphries

Olga Humphries (March 17, 1898 - January 5, 1981) was a women's suffrage campaigner in Georgeland in the early part of the twentieth century. Born into a poor Anglican family in Zigit, Humphries first became known for her activism in the 1920s, when she became a vocal representative of the coal miners in her local region during an industrial dispute. In 1919, aged only 21, she founded the National Womens Suffrage League, which had 40,000 members by 1926. She campaigned against becoming a republic in 1929; after the referendum voted to leave the Empire, Humphries wrote personally to Prime Minister Frederick Eccles insisting women recieve an equal vote in the new Republic. Mass demonstrations in favour of women recieving the vote followed, and in March 1930, Parliament voted to extend the franchise to women, which had already happened in the United States and the United Kingdom. Humphries continued to campaign for equal rights, particularly in working pay and conditions, for the remainder of her life. She worked several full-time jobes, notably in administrative areas, and was appauled by her treatment as a woman. In 1941, following the declaration of war against Japan, Humphries enlisted in the armed forces (though technically older than the maximum age for recruits at the time, Humphries lied about her age, claiming to be only thirty-six, and was accepted into the United Islands Navy as a clerk. She campaigned for women to be allowed to fight on the front lines as early as this period, but with no success. After the war, Humphries stood for Parliament (which, despite her early success, she had not hitherto done) at the general election of 1946, as an Independent. She was defeated, which was to the surprise of many. She continued to be politically active, writing prolifically on womens issues and rights, and pioneered the school of feminist thought later popularised by Germaine Greer, among others, who called her "the most remarkable woman of her time". Humphries never married or had children. Recent speculation about her sexuality has become more common; a number of historians, including Professor John Flannagan, have argued that Humphries may have been involved in a number of lesbian relationships throughout her lifetime. Humphries certainly supported the burgeoning gay rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s, though she denied being a lesbian when asked. Humphries died in 1981, and did not recieve a state funeral - the offer was made, but Humphries will specifically requested a private service only. The electoral division of Humphries is named for her, as are a number of institutions, including Olga Humphries High School in Zigit and the Olga Humphries Centre, a womens' rights lobby organisation and think-tank.