A Woman's Place Is On The Money

“A young girl wrote to ask me why aren’t there any women on our currency, and then she gave me like a long list of possible women to put on our dollar bills and quarters and stuff - which I thought was a pretty good idea.”
Barack Obama



Dear mr president,

I am writing to know why there arent many woman on the Dollars for the United States. I think there should be more women on a Dollars/coins for the united States Becuas if there where no woman there wouldnt Be Men also there are Many woman that could be on Dollars/coins for the united State because of the important things done. Please write Back

Sofia

My list of woman can Be on Dollars/coins for the united States
Anne Hutchinson, Rosa Parks, Abigail Dams, emily Dickinson, Hellen keller, Debran Samspon, Betsy Ross, Michelle oBaMa, Hillary clinton, eleantor roosevelt, Harriet tudman, Ida B. Wells



The White House
Washington

February 11, 2015

Dear Sofia:

This is a belated note to thank you for writing to me with such a good idea last summer. The women you listed and drew make up an impressive group, and I must say you're pretty impressive too.

I'll keep working to make sure you grow up in a country where women have the same opportunities as men, and I hope you'll stay involved in issues that matter to you. If you keep focusing in school and trying to help others whenever you can, there are no limits to what you can accomplish.

Thanks again for the great letter. I expect big things from you.

Sincerely,
Barack Obama

“I was studying Ann Hutchinson, who stood up for women’s rights. Almost everyone who chose a boy, on their poster they had pictures of different dollar bills or coins with their person on it. So I noticed, why don’t women have coins or dollar bills with their faces on it?”
Sofia

“Why is that? Why are no girls on currency? Because women are just as important as men, and I think that it’s important for the women to get recognized in this way.”
Sofia

Sofia, 9 years old, fourth-grader from Massachusetts inspired the Women On 20s campaign. Similarly, a campaign started in the UK in 2013 when the Bank of England announced that Sir Winston Churchill would replace Elizabeth Fry on the 5-pounds note from 2016. Later, the Bank added that Jane Austen would replace Charles Darwin from 2017 (via). But back to Sofia: When studying historical figures at school, she noticed that her classmates who had chosen a man often showed coins and bills. She also noticed that women were underrepresented (few exceptions are Sacagawea and Susan B. Anthony). Sofia went home and told her mother she needed to write a letter to President Obama (via). Not only did she get a reply but also an invitation to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll (via).

Interesting and curious: From 1946 to 1973, so-called Military Payment Certificates (a form of currency used by the U.S. military personnel in some foreign countries) were printed with more women than man on them. When the war against Vietnam started, the women's portrayals became more modern and resembled celebrities. Rumour has it that one of them looked like Marilyn Monroe. According to a theory, this was no coincidence. Women on the military currency were supposed to motivate the soldiers abroad in a similar way Hollywood stars did with their entertainment programmes when visiting soldiers in combat zones. In 1970, things changed and Military Payment Certificates started having only men on them, such as Benjamin Franklin or George Washington (via).



photographs (1953) of Marilyn Monroe by John "Johnny" Florea (1916-2000) via and via and via and via and via