**UPDATED**
My collection of received stamps is very little, so no representative at all. But anyway: when
I started to search among my received stamps the ones featuring women... I discovered is you are more likely to appear in a stamp if you are a bird or a flower than if you are a women. OMG. But don't desperate, women of the world. We have still some possibilities. Postal services will be happy to dedicate a stamp to us if we become...
1) Queens & Princesses. This is the easiest way. There aren't postal services who can't resist issue stamps with queens; and they look for your better picture!
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| Netherlands / UK / UK |
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| Denmark |
A little inconvenient is that sometimes you need a prince (who will also appear on your stamp, of course). This stamp dates from 2004, and it was issued on the occasion of the marriage of Letizia with Felipe.
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| Spain |
2) Moms.
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| The UK |
For instance, in Spain we have a Mum on a stamp almost every Christmas.
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| Spain |
3) 1 & 2.
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Canada
In fact, this stamp is dedicated to the baby... |
4) Symbols. As you have noticed, the postal services like to emphasize the symbolic role of women. So congratulations if you are a symbol, because you might appear in one or several stamps (this is more likely to happen if your country has no queen).
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| France |
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| Portugal |
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| Italy |
5) Muses. Marianne, shown in the last stamp, belongs also to this section.
If you have inspired a masterpiece, it is probably that you will appear on beautiful stamps. Women are very useful to show the work of... men.
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| The Netherlands / Austria / Denmark |
The first one is a picture by the famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Woman in blue reading a letter). In the second one you can appreciate Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. And I am sure you recognise The Little Mermaid created by Edvard Eriksen who happens to be a man, as well as Vermeer and Velázquez. Sometimes, like the Danish one, you will be also a symbol. So category 6) is 4 & 5.
7) Cartoons. Maybe because, as symbols, cartoons are harmless. don't take me wrong: I do like these stamps, as most of stamps on this post. But, for once, I would like to see a real superwoman on a stamp.
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| The USA |
8) Artists. Maybe I am being unfair: not just muses but also some artists appear on stamps. It is difficult if you are a scientist (except for Marie Curie and a few more exceptions). But if you are an author, an actress or even a singer, they would give you a chance. Here you can find a lot of examples:
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| USA / Malaysia |
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| Brazil / The UK |
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| Hungary |
I wish you a happy Women's Day and I wish us the same number of women on stamps as men on stamps. Thanks for reading this long post.
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The USA has some more women on stamps -- Edith Pilaf, Texas country singer (I forgot her name), Frida Kahlo and others -- maybe I should post a photo? Interesting post -- thanks.
ReplyDeleteLuckily you're right and there are more women on stamps. But still the number of men is enormously bigger :(
DeleteI could be very interesting if you post about women on stamps on the USA!
I enjoyed reading your analysis of the portrayal of women on stamps. Aside from the Queen (of course) GB probably has fewer women featured on stamps even today, but if you look back, probably the balance is better than it used to be.
ReplyDeleteI don't intended to be really serious... :D
DeleteI think in most countries thinks are changing. But sometimes too slowly...!
I enjoyed your somewhat humorous analysis. I especially like the last Malaysian stamp.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :D
DeleteSuch a good analysis! Thank you for posting!
ReplyDeleteGreat collection; I appreciated your analysis. I have seen Denmark's Little Mermaid many times but didn't know it was on a stamp.
ReplyDeleteSo funny, but true. The series of Notable Britain our post is doing usually has one lone token woman.
ReplyDeleteI do like your selection!! I nearly did the new Marianne stamps from France. Apparently (some) people don't like them because the image was inspired by a prominent feminist.
ReplyDeleteI wrote here about that:
Deletehttp://mailadventures.blogspot.com/2014/02/mail-facts-9in-472-marianne-and-boycott.html
A clever take on the prompt. I love the ones with the ‘muses’ especially the Vermeer. I’m learning so much from this week’s contributors.
ReplyDeleteMe too :D
DeleteThank you for your excellent comments! Off to find that Canadian stamp with the baby....
ReplyDeleteWhat a great collection. International Working Women's Day. Was there ever a woman who did not work? At home or in the work force, And usually both.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. Sometimes people says: "Women started to work in the 20th century", and I think in your question:"Is there a woman who did not work?". Things are changing too slowly...
DeleteI'm glad you included Princess Kate because she represent the modern women of today in a very classy way.
ReplyDeleteHappy Women's Day!
Willa @ Postage Journal: My Sunday Stamp
If being a princess could be compatible with modernity...
DeleteI loved this post and your ironic tone, unfortunately women representation in stamps is similar to the importance given to women in our society. In Portugal men receive plus 18% than women in similar jobs. Sometimes I feel I do not live in 2014...
ReplyDeleteUnluckily, you're right. Stamps are a reflection of societies. I find now big differences is stamps between Spain and Morocco. Concerning to women, in Spain we have few women on stamps. In Morocco I never saw a woman on a stamp (but it doesn't mean there aren't, of course; I will find out).
DeleteAlso in the Netherlands, in general women are paid less than men for similar jobs. And many women have double/triple tasks: work outside the house and take the largest part of the household tasks and in raising the children.
DeleteTo regard it positively: women are multi-talented :-) But alas few are rewarded for all work.
Concerning women on Moroccon stamps: I found these on the internet for you! See:
http://www.kledingoppostzegels.nl/2011_12_01_archive.html
Thanks, Heleen. They are beautiful stamps. But in fact dedicated to clothes, not to women! I must change my post and say: "you're more likely to appear in a stamp if you're a djellaba than a woman" :D There's a famous series of "important Moroccan people" without any woman at all (?!?).
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