Margaret Benston facts for kids

Margaret "Maggie" Lowe Benston (1937–1991) was a smart professor. She taught chemistry, computer science, and women's studies at Simon Fraser University. This university is in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Maggie Benston was a strong supporter of women's rights. She also worked hard for workers' rights. She helped start many important groups. These included the Vancouver Women's Caucus and the Women's Studies Program at Simon Fraser University. For 30 years, she wrote articles and gave speeches. She also talked to politicians. She worked for women and workers in Canada and around the world. Maggie Benston passed away from cancer in 1991.

Maggie Benston's Studies and Work

Margaret Benston first earned a degree in chemistry and philosophy. She then got her PhD in theoretical chemistry in 1964. This was from the University of Washington. After that, she did more research at the University of Wisconsin.

In 1966, Benston joined Simon Fraser University. She was one of the first teachers there in the Chemistry Department. She also helped create the Women's Studies program in the mid-1970s. She taught classes in this program part-time.

Important Writings and Ideas

Benston wrote many scientific articles. But she also became very involved in women's rights. Her 1969 essay was called The Political Economy of Women's Liberation. This was a very important paper. It was one of the first to use a Marxist feminist view from Canada. It helped explain how women were treated unfairly. This essay shaped many discussions about women's rights in the 1970s. It was later printed in several books. It was also translated into many languages.

In the 1980s, Benston became interested in computer science. She started teaching in both Women's Studies and Computer Science. She studied how computers and new technology affected women's jobs.

Maggie Benston was the first to say that women formed a "reserve army of labour." This means women could be used in certain ways for work. She believed women's work at home and in paid jobs was key to how the economy worked. She argued that women could not be fully equal in paid jobs. This would need big changes to both home and paid work. This idea led to a big discussion around the world. It was called the "domestic labour debate."

Her Life and Activism

Maggie Benston cared deeply about social justice. She helped start a group called the Euphoniously Feminist and Non-Performing Quintet. This group sang feminist, labour, and anti-war songs. They performed at protests and rallies.

As a worker's rights activist, she helped create Vancouver Mayworks. This is a festival that celebrates workers' culture. She also helped start the Vancouver Women's Caucus. This was a political group at Simon Fraser University. She also helped create Women's Skills Development of British Columbia.

Benston loved music. She played a big part in starting the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. The Mayworks festival still happens today. It celebrates labour and the arts in different parts of British Columbia.

In 1981, Benston and five other women started The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST). This group helps and encourages girls and women in science and technology. Maggie Benston passed away in 1991 when she was 52 years old. She had been battling cancer for a long time.

Her Lasting Impact

Simon Fraser University has a building named after her. It is called the Maggie Benston Centre. It was only the second building at the university named after a woman.

There is also an award named after her. It is called the Margaret Lowe Benston Memorial Graduate Bursary. This award helps students studying Gender and Women's Studies at Simon Fraser University.

Since 1994, there has been an annual event in her memory. It is called the "Margaret Lowe Benston (MLB) Lecture Series in Social Justice." The Department of Gender and Women's Studies hosts it. These events are often lectures. But they have also included dance shows and film screenings. Many people attend these events each year.

See also

In Spanish: Margaret Benston para niños