Mary Fitzgerald (trade unionist)

Mary Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald on a 1915 Election poster
Born
Mary Sinnott

(1883-08-04)4 August 1883
Died26 September 1960(1960-09-26) (aged 77)
NationalityIrish
Other namesPickhandle Mary
OccupationTrade unionist

Mary Fitzgerald (also known as Pickhandle Mary; 4 August 1883 – 26 September 1960) was an Irish-born South African political activist and was considered to have been the first female trade unionist in the country. She was South Africa's first female master printer. As editor of the Voice of Labour, she published articles advocating for women's enfranchisement, racially integrated trade unions and revolutionary socialism. She played a lead role in the Black Friday Riots of 1913. She was the first woman to be elected to the Johannesburg City Council (JCC) in 1915 and later served as Deputy Mayor of Johannesburg.[1]

  1. ^ "Mama Mary Fitzgerald (Posthumous) | The Presidency". www.thepresidency.gov.za. Retrieved 31 October 2022.