Vida Goldstein

From ArticleWorld

Vida Goldstein was born in the Australian state of Victoria in 1869 to parents who had strong social views. After completing her education at the Presbyterian Ladies College, she and her sisters ran a co-educational school.

Vida was active in both politics and women’s rights from an early age and was to become a well known feminist figure around the world. She campaigned for issues such as the establishment of the Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and was the Australia and New Zealand delegate to the International Woman Suffrage Conference, and in that role addressed the United States Congress in 1902.

Standing for public office

In 1903, she became the first woman in all of the British Empire to stand for election to a national parliament. Failing to be elected did not stop her renewing her bid in 1910, 1913, 1914 and finally in 1917.

The war years

Vida Goldstein was a pacifist and she became the chairman of the Peace Alliance and went on to form the Women’s Peace Army. She edited the ‘Women’s Sphere’ for eight years from 1900 and it was during this time she led the Women’s Political Association.

As well as campaigning for peace and disarmament, Vida supported the issue of birth control and equal naturalization laws.