Women’s Rights In Canada – Through History

1875 - Grace Annie Lockhart
Grace Annie Lockhart was the first woman to receive a university degree when she graduated from Mount Allison University.

1881 - Dr. Emily Stowe
Dr. Emily Stowe established a medical practice in Toronto and was the first woman to practise medicine in Canada.

1884 - Widows and Unmarried Women win the Right to Vote
Women who are widows and unmarried were granted the right to vote in municipal elections in Ontario. Married women could not vote as only their husband’s votes would count.

1900 - The Married Women's Property Act
The Married Women's Property Act gives married women in Manitoba the same legal capacity as men in terms of property ownership. Previously, everything was under the ownership of the husband. Within a decade, P.E.I. and Saskatchewan would grant women the same rights.

1913 - Alys McKey Bryant
Alys McKey Bryant became the first woman to pilot an airplane in Canada.

1915 - Nurse Elizabeth Smellie
Nurse Elizabeth Smellie is the first woman to be appointed Colonel in the Canadian Army.

1916 - The right to vote in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan
Women win the right to vote in provincial elections in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. In the next two years, British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia would grant women the same rights.

1918 - Act To Confer Electoral Franchise Upon Women
An Act To Confer Electoral Franchise Upon Women grants women the right to vote in federal elections.

1921 - Agnes MacPhail
Agnes MacPhail became the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament. She represented the riding in Grey Country, Ontario.

1922 - The Married Women's Property Act
The Married Women's Property Act gives married women in Alberta the same legal capacity as men. Before this, any rights that women had would have been transferred to their husband once they got married.

1924 - Cecile Eustace Smith
Cecile Eustace Smith, a 15 year old figure skater, became the first Canadian woman to represent Canada in an Olympic Games.

1929 - The word 'persons' in Canada's Constitution
The five Lords of the Judicial Committee of England's Privy Council ruled unanimously that the word ‘persons' in Canada's constitution should include both the male and female sex. As such the British Privy Council allows women to be appointed to the Canadian Senate.

1936 - Barbara Hanley
Barbara Hanley is the first woman elected to the position of mayor. She presided over the town of Webwood, Ontario.

1937 - Léa Roback
Léah Roback led 5000 garment industry workers in Montreal on a massive strike that lasted 25 days. They were protesting 60 hour work weeks, poverty level wages and miserable working conditions.

1951 - The Fair Employment Practices Act in Ontario
The Fair Employment Practices Act is passed in Ontario and equal pay legislation is introduced in the province.

1953 - The Fair Employment Practices Act in Canada
Canada passes the Fair Employment Practices Act and year later, the federal government declared its fair wages policy.

1956 - Female Employees Equal Pay Act
The federal government passes the Female Employees Equal Pay Act.

1974 - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police accept 4 female recruits, the first women to join the force.

1976 - Sue Holloway
Sue Holloway became the first Canadian woman to ever compete in both winter and summer Olympic Games in the same year.

1977 - The Canadian Human Rights Act
The Canadian Human Rights Act was passed by prime minister, Pierre E. Trudeau, The Canadian Human Rights Act gave basic rights to all humans. There was no discrimination based on sex, race, religion, sexuality. It specified that there must be equal pay for work of equal value.

1980 and 1984 - Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé was appointed the first woman Speaker of the House of Commons. In Canada, it is the Speaker's responsibility to manage the House of Commons and supervise its staff.

1984 - first woman Governor General
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé then became the first woman Governor General of Canada.

1986 - Sharon Adele Wood
Canadian, Sharon Adele Wood is the first woman from the Western hemisphere to climb Mount Everest.

1987 - Discrimination in the Hiring of Women
Systemic discrimination in the hiring of women is found to be unlawful.

1989 - Sexual Harassment is a form of Sex Discrimination
The Supreme Court of Canada decided that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination.

1989 - Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin, Member of Parliament from the Yukon, was elected as the leader of the federal New Democratic Party and became the first woman ever to lead a national political party in Canada.

1993 - First Female Premier
Catherine Callbeck was elected Premier of Prince Edward Island and became the first female Premier elected in Canada.

1993 - First Female Prime Minister
Kim Campbell became the first female Canadian Prime Minister.

1994 - Lenna Bradbum
Lenna Bradbum was appointed Canada's first ever woman police chief in Guelph, Ontario.

1996 - Summer Olympics
Of the 307 Canadian athletes who competed in 1996 Summer Olympics, 154 were women and 153 were men, making this the first Canadian Olympic team ever to consist of more women than men.
1996 - Heather Reisman

Heather Reisman founded Indigo Books. Five years later, it would merge with Chapters to form the largest book retailer in Canada.

1998 - Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson, a Canadian marketing professional, took sole ownership of Venture Communications, one of Canada's largest independent marketing firms.

2000 - Beverly McLachlin
Beverly McLachlin became to first woman to hold the title of Chief Justice of Canada.

2001 - Lieutenant Governors and the Governor General
Lieutenant Governors in seven Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) and the Governor General of Canada were women.

2002 - Canadian Senate
Approximately one third of the Canadian Senate are women.