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Printed materials like books, magazines, newspapers have been around for quite some time. The European Age of printing began in 1439 marking the beginning of an age of printing. The person credited for the invention that drove the printing era was German craftsman and inventor, Johannes Gutenberg. It was shortly after That women also began to emerge in the print industry.
The first female printer was Anna Rügerin. She was a typographer from the city of Augsburg in Germany. In 1484, she printed two books in the in-folio format in her own press
Albeit, Charlotte Guillard is hailed the first woman printer with a widely recognized career. She worked at the famous Soleil d’Or printing house in Paris from 1502 until her death in 1557. From 1537 onwards, after the passing of her second husband, Guillard ran her printing business on her own.
This was unusual at the time, as women were not allowed to own a business. They were, however, allowed to take over the business of their husband after their death. She grew the business significantly over the years. She had five or six printing presses and employed 25 to 30 people. Her companies account for books in more than 400 libraries throughout the world.
It’s also important to mention The women’s printing society – a British publishing house founded in either 1874 or 1876. The company played an important role in supporting the British suffragettes, both through its publication of feminist tracts and by providing employment opportunities for women in a field previously restricted to men.
In Kenya, we have our own women personalities to applaud. Pamella Makotsi – Sitton was the first woman appointed executive editor and managing editor of the Daily Nation at the Nation Media Group. Appointed in 2019, the Daily Nation is the highest circulation independent newspaper in Kenya.
The only way to challenge the gender disparity in media leadership is by creating a pipeline of women journalists with the right skills to take up senior positions. Pamella Makotsi-Sittoni
Women have always been involved in print. Here at Involvement, we bost our own team of brilliant women who are writers and newspaper editors. We hope to encourage more women to consider a career in print.