Janet Munro was born on 31 January 1883 in Glasgow, to Mary McLean, a housekeeper, and William Munro, an iron foundry warehouseman. She was educated in Glasgow and became a teacher of orphaned or abandoned children.
In 1903, Janet married Frederick Kemp, and they had one son, Harold. In 1909 the family emigrated to New Zealand, arriving in Auckland in August.
The Kemps mixed with other socialists and in 1911 met a recently arrived Peter Fraser. Peter was attracted by her intelligence, her gentle voice and interest in socialist literature. The Kemps’ marriage eventually failed, and by 1918 Janet and Peter were living in Wellington. Fraser was elected the member of Parliament for Wellington Central in a by-election in October 1918. The pair worked together as volunteers in the ‘flu epidemic in November. On 4 October 1919 the Kemps were divorced, and on 1 November Janet and Peter were married in Wellington.
Janet Fraser became active in politics as the first secretary of the Wellington women’s branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, formed in 1920.
Janet was interested in Health, education and welfare issues, which led to a series of official appointments which included being one of the first women justices of the peace and an associate of the Children’s Court. She was also involved in many women’s organisations, including the League of Mothers and the Plunket Society.
In 1935 Janet was appointed to a committee of inquiry into abortion, followed by one into maternity services which spent many months conducting hearings throughout New Zealand. As a result, the government brought in measures to provide financial support for maternity services and child-rearing.
During the Second World War a co-ordinated approach to the women’s war effort became necessary and Janet Fraser was appointed head of the Dominion Central Executive of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary.
By this time her health was failing, and on 7 March 1945 she died in Lewisham Hospital, Wellington, of tuberculosis. She was accorded a large state funeral before her burial in Karori cemetery.
Edited from her Biography on Te Ara
https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4f21/fraser-janet
