Thora Pedersen

Marie Thora Frederikke Pedersen (1875–1954) was a Danish teacher, school inspector and women's rights proponent who was active in the Danish Union of Teachers (Danmarks Lærerforening) and the Danish Women's Society (Dansk Kvindesamfund). As a representative of these organizations on the parliamentary salary commission established in 1917, she was instrumental in achieving progress on civil servants' pay. Her efforts led to the Pay Act (Lønningsloven) of 1919 which introduced equal pay for men and women. She also succeeded in introducing improvements for Danish schools based on her international experience in education.

Biography Born on 21 October 1875 in Øster Hurup near Hadsund in the east of Jutland, Marie Thora Frederikke Pedersen was the daughter of the schoolteacher Niels Christian Pedersen (1843–1941) and Karen Marie Andersen (1847–1924). Against her father's will, she attended N. Zahle's School in Copenhagen to train as a teacher. After qualifying in 1900, she returned to Jutland where she was employed by the Aalborg school authority from 1901 to 1945.