Women Heroes: Margaret Sanger

Margaret Sanger

From now on, in every issue an illustrator tells us about a woman they admire. In Issue 30 it’s the turn of Meera Lee Patel, who drew the American birth control activist, writer, and nurse Margaret Sanger (1879-1966).

“The idea to draw Margaret Sanger was born from a deliberate decision to make women more visible through my work. As a woman, I feel unseen in many ways, and if I can do even a little bit to expose and encourage women who are elevating other women, I want to do so. Sanger was an advocate for women’s rights—to their bodies, their choices and the ways they decided to live their lives.

I admire her for standing up for so many who didn’t have the opportunity to stand up for themselves. She reminds me that it’s okay to advocate for change, to not be okay with how things are and to not accept any less than what I deserve—which is the freedom to be exactly who I am. For the illustration I used colored pencil, watercolor and inks.”

  • You can read this, and other stories in Issue 30.

Text Alice van Essen  Illustration Meera Lee Patel

You can read the full story here