Barbara Anne Macdonald (nee Charles, September 11, 1913 – June 15, 2000) was an American social worker and lesbian feminist activist.
[1] When she was 15, she left home and began to support herself as a domestic worker in Long Beach, California.
[4] She was also invited to speak on international panels at the Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) forum at the 1995 United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing.
The incident taught Macdonald not to put her pride in strength because, as people age, they become weaker.
[1] She identified many aspects of age-related issues that affect older women, such as poverty, physical challenges caused by age, violence against older women, and health issues, all of which she felt were not adequately addressed by younger feminists.
[9] Macdonald felt that defining women by their familial roles was the central contributor to ageism.
[11] The book was considered "extremely rare" by May Sarton and called "courageous" by Robin Morgan.