Women Who Dared

Marie Stopes (1880-1958)

Marie Stopes and her husband opened the first birth control clinic in England in 1921. One public health official pronounced contraception and any discussion of it "a monstrous crime." Ms. Stopes was a paleobotanist and author who campaigned for greater public access to information related to sex and reproduction. She spent most of her life fighting for women's access to birth control.

Ms. Stopes, I salute you.

ps. In the interest of full disclosure, Ms. Stopes was also a supporter of eugenics. I do not salute you for this, Ms. Stopes. But for your work to advance birth control and accurate reproductive information to women, and to reduce unsafe abortions, I thank you.