Every year, March rolls around...and with it, comes Women’s History Month! As a woman, myself, I love the idea. Celebrating trailblazers in women’s rights...DUH, this excites me! I am so incredibly thankful to all those who have gone before me who have made strides to ensure women voting rights, social rights, and generally, a seat at the table!
However, if I’m honest, the current, more ideologically biased ‘Women’s History Month’ doesn’t always feel like it welcomes or even includes women who have made incredible strides as conservative or Christian women. Time and time again, we are force-fed articles praising women such as Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsberg (who all, in their own various ways, deserve lots of recognition!) as our role models, and honestly, I’m fed up. Women’s History Month should not be limited to a certain kind of woman...that defeats the purpose! Celebrating each other innately should include celebrating our differences and our ability to BE different. Multitudes of conservative and Christian women have made incredible strides, shattered glass ceilings, and reframed the framework...but alas...their stories go untold by the mainstream media.
After reading this article by Kay C. James that expresses the lack of conservative women in Women’s History Month, I was inspired to create my own list! And of course, ever inspired by Mallory and listening to the ‘Those Other Girls’ Podcast, the name ‘Those Other Women’s History Month’ came to me! Excited to partner with TOG on this awesome profile series on inspirational conservative women!
Margaret Thatcher
"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." -Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher has ALWAYS been a role model of mine...with her wit, grit, and always ‘can do’ attitude, she stands out among the crowd. It is Thatcher’s wisdom I run to when I am at my most discouraged, especially now, where being a conservative woman is treated more like having a disease than what it actually is: standing for life, truth, justice, personal liberty, and fiscal responsibility. A crazy notion, I know.
Margaret Thatcher was born in England in 1925, and she is best known for becoming the first woman British Prime Minister, and on top of that, Europe’s first woman Prime Minister. In addition, Thatcher held three consecutive terms as Prime Minister, and was the only British Prime Minister to do so in the 20th century.
Thatcher was the daughter of a grocer in England, and she often helped out at her father’s store. She learned a lot about the importance of hard work in her childhood, and she always knew she wanted to be involved in politics. During her time at Oxford University, she became the first female President of the Oxford University Conservative Association, and she graduated in 1947. From there, she worked as a chemist, studied for the bar exam, and practiced as a barrister. Apart from her time working, she was also a wife and a mother to twins!
Throughout her time as a politician, Thatcher first ran for Parliament in 1950, joined the House of Commons in 1959, served in the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, and served as Secretary of State for Education and Science in the Heath administration. In 1975, she was elected Prime Minister with the backing of the Conservative Party.
Throughout her 15 years as Prime Minister, Thatcher never backed down, and she was known as the Iron Lady. She fought for individual freedom from the state, limited government interference in the economy, and much more.
She faced a lot of backlash, being named a very unpopular Prime Minister at the time, and the Irish Republican Army even nearly killed Thatcher and members of her administration in 1984 through a terrorist bombing at Conservative Party Conference. Nonetheless, she could not be bullied, and she did not back down from sticking to her values.
Next to Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher is renowned as one of the most influential political characters in British history. Here’s to strong conservative women who led the way in sticking up for one’s values and never backing down!
“Don’t follow the crowd. Let the crowd follow you.” -Margaret Thatcher
