Martha Mabel Jansen | |
|---|---|
 Jansen in a photo taken around 1953. | |
| Born | Martha Mabel Pellissier 1 November 1889 Bethulie, Orange Free State |
| Died | 8 January 1979 (aged 89) Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa |
| Occupation | Educator, writer, journalist, cultural leader, politician and promoter of Afrikaans |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Citizenship | South African citizenship |
| Education | MA Greek and Latin |
| Alma mater | Huguenot College |
| Notable awards | Decoration for Meritorious Services Gold Medal of the Saamwerkersunie FAK's Public Service Honorary Award |
| Spouse | E.G. Jansen (m. 1912) |
| Children | Erns Louis Jansen (judge) (1918-2011) |
| Relatives | Parents: Samuel Henri Pellissier and Josephine Elise Johanna Roux Grand-daughter: Mabel Jansen, SC |
Martha Mabel Jansen, DMS (née Pellissier; 1 November 1889 — 8 January 1979) was a South African educator, writer, journalist, cultural leader, politician and pioneer in the promotion of Afrikaans, as well as the spouse of the penultimate Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, E.G. Jansen.
She was a founding member of the Saamwerkersunie (Cooperative Union), the Voortrekkers (an Afrikaans pioneer organisation), the Vroue-Nasionale Party (Women's national party) in Natal, the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (FAK) (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations), and the first woman member of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (South African Academy of Science and Arts).[1]
She was the author of numerous dramas and novels, as well as the first Afrikaans grammar guide. She was involved in the founding of Voortrekkerpers (Pioneer publishers) and Die Transvaler (The Transvaler newspaper), a leading figure in the education and upliftment of impoverished Afrikaans railway workers, and an avid supporter of the preservation of cultural-historical monuments.[1]