Ruby Rich

Ruby Rich was an Australian journalist, editor, and feminist who campaigned for women's rights and peace. She was born in 1888 in Sydney, New South Wales, to a Jewish family of Polish origin. She attended Sydney Girls High School and later studied at the University of Sydney. She worked as a teacher and a librarian before becoming a journalist. She wrote for various publications, such as The Bulletin, The Australian Worker, The Labor Daily, and The Progressive Journal. She covered topics such as politics, economics, social issues, culture, and international affairs. She also wrote poetry and fiction under various pseudonyms. She was known for her progressive views and her advocacy for women's causes. She was the founder and president of the United Associations of Women (UAW), which was formed in 1929 as an umbrella organization for various women's groups. The UAW lobbied for equal pay, birth control, divorce reform, child care, and other feminist issues. It also supported peace movements and opposed fascism and war. Rich was a prominent figure in the UAW and edited its journal Woman Today. Rich was also active in other organizations, such as the Australian Federation of Women Voters, the League of Nations Union, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Council for Civil Liberties. She travelled extensively and attended several international conferences on women's rights and peace. Rich never married or had children. She lived with her sister Stella until Stella's death in 1975. She then moved to a nursing home in North Ryde. She died in 1988 at the age of 100.