Women's History Month 2003
|
"The
history of all times, and of today especially,
teaches that...women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves." -
Louise Otto, (Luise Otto-Peters) |
In October 2003, Canadians will celebrate Women's History Month (WHM), with the highlight being Person's Day on October 18. The theme for WHM this year is ...
"What
do you mean, women couldn't vote?"
Quoi!
Les femmes ne pouvaient voter?
Page Contents
- Questions and Answers about Women's History Month
- What can I do to commemorate Women's History Month?
- Suggested Readings
- Some Web Sites of Interest
- Video Suggestions
- WHM 2003 Quiz
- Answers to WHM 2003 Quiz
- Evaluation
and comments
Questions and Answers
about Women's History Month
WHAT IS WOMEN'S
HISTORY MONTH?
Women's History Month represents an opportunity to highlight the past
and present contributions of women to Canadian society and to recognize
the achievements of women from all walks of life as a vital part of our
Canadian heritage. It also provides an opportunity to highlight how we
all benefit today from the achievements of our foremothers in the quest
for women's equality. And, foremost, it represents an ideal opportunity
to instill a sense of pride in our historic origins as well as to provide
role models for all Canadians.
|
"People
must know the past to understand the present and face the future."
~ Nellie McClung, 1935 |
WHEN AND HOW DID
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH BEGIN?
Women's achievements have often been overlooked in standard history books or remained little known outside academic circles. Determined to see women's historical participation rediscovered and celebrated, a group of women from Victoria, British Columbia founded the Canadian Women's History Month Committee (CWHMC) in 1991. Their goal was to establish a national month devoted to honouring the contributions of women who helped form our nation.
In April 1991, members of the CWHMC wrote to the federal Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, requesting that October be designated Canadian Women's History Month (WHM).
The correspondents were keenly interested in creating greater awareness among Canadians concerning the contributions of women to Canadian society. They also expressed concern about the marginalization of women in history, and the need for more research and public information to bring the role of women into the mainstream of historical study and practice. They suggested that a greater appreciation of the past achievements of women would lead to a better understanding of the diverse roles women play in contemporary society.
Status of Women Canada supported the CWHMC proposal and, on March 9, 1992, the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women announced the official designation of October as Women's History Month in Canada.
Every October since 1992, Canada celebrates Women's History Month, with the highlight being Persons Day, on October 18. The month of October has been selected as Women's History Month because of the historical significance of the Persons Case decision of 1929, which represents a landmark victory in the struggle of Canadian women for equality.
WHAT IS THE PERSONS CASE?
Although most Canadian women could vote in many provinces and in federal
elections, women were not eligible for appointment to the Senate of Canada
until 1929. Participation of women in public life was of concern to several
women's groups who began pressuring the federal government to appoint
a woman to the Senate in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Their repeated
requests were unsuccessful.
In August 1927, Emily Murphy and four other prominent Alberta women - Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards - petitioned the Supreme Court of Canada for an interpretation of section 24 of the British North American Act (BNA) on the matter of appointments of women to the Senate of Canada.
Nine months later, in April 1928, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against the five women, nicknamed the "Famous Five," shattering their hopes that women could be called to the Senate of Canada. Although dismayed and indignant, the Famous Five were more determined than ever to press on for the recognition of Canadian women as persons qualified for the Senate. They met again and resolved to take their case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England, which was, at that time, Canada's highest court of appeal.
On October 18, 1929, after four days of deliberations, the Privy Council overturned the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada and declared Canadian women to be qualified for appointment to the Senate. This historic decision created a new precedent for women in gaining access to sectors of society previously reserved only for men.
One year later, Cairine
Reay Wilson became the first woman to take her place in the Senate
of Canada. The Famous Five achieved not only the right for women to serve
in the Senate, but they paved the way for women to participate in other
aspects of public life.
WHAT IS PERSONS
DAY?
Persons Day is on October 18 and commemorates the date the Persons
Case decision was rendered in 1929. Actually, Persons Day is the highlight
of Women's History Month. Each year, on or around Persons Day, the Governor
General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case are presented
to six recipients (including one youth) who have helped advance the cause
of equality for girls and women in significant and substantial ways in
their communities. Status of Women Canada administers the Governor General's
Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.
WHAT IS THE THEME
FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2003?
This year, the WHM theme is What do you mean,
women couldn't vote? / Quoi! Les femmes ne pouvaient voter?
Today, the lives of Canadians are filled with many examples of the gains that women have made throughout history. Women have access to higher education; they can work, earn money and own property; they have the right to counselling about, and the use of, contraception; and they have the right to vote and to run for elected office. However, sometimes these liberties and rights that our foremothers struggled to win are taken for granted. Women's History Month is an ideal opportunity to encourage young Canadians to look back at the past and understand how far we've come. Tomorrow's leaders need to ask the question "What would it be like if no one had ever stood up for women's rights?" By becoming familiar with our history and taking pride in women's accomplishments, all Canadians can work together to achieve the goal of full equality for women.
IS THERE SOME PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL AVAILABLE FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH?
Yes. To assist you in preparing activities to celebrate WHM, Status of
Women Canada has developed this Organizer's Tool Kit (available
on-line
in HTML and for download in Acrobat®),
a Poster (publication 03-G-008 available in August 2003) and a
Youth Fact Sheet (publication 03-G-009 available in August 2003)
on women's history.
They are available in print, on the SWC Web site and for download in PDF format. You can order your copies on-line. For more information:
Status of Women Canada
(SWC)
123 Slater Street - 10th floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1H9
Telephone: (613) 995-7835
T.D.D.: (613) 996-1322
Fax: (613) 957-3359 (Distribution Centre)
(613) 943-2386 (for info)
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/index_e.html
E-mail: publications@swc-cfc.gc.ca
(to order material)
communications@swc-cfc.gc.ca
(for info)
WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES ARE HAPPENING TO COMMEMORATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH?
A Calendar
of Activities indicating the various activities across the country
will be available in August 2003 on the SWC Web site.
You may also wish to check with your local newspaper to see what kind of activities are happening in your community.
WHERE ELSE CAN I FIND MATERIAL AND RESOURCES FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH?
For archival documents, such as pictures, audio-visual records, etc.,
you may wish to check with your local Historical Society, your Municipal
or Provincial Archives, or with the National Archives of Canada. For more
information about the National Archives of Canada:
National Archives
of Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N3
Telephone: (613) 995-5138
1-866-578-7777 (toll-free number)
T.D.D.: (613) 947-0391
Fax: (613) 995-6274
Web site: http://www.archives.ca
The Green Dragon Press usually produces a poster for WHM. It also sells books, material, posters, and other supplies on women's history and women's issues. For more information:
Green Dragon Press
2267 Lake Shore Blvd West, Suite 1009
Toronto, Ontario M8V 3X2
Telephone: (416) 251-6366
or 1-800-305-2057
Fax: (416) 251-6365
Web site: http://www3.sympatico.ca/equity.greendragonpress/
E-mail: equity.greendragonpress@sympatico.ca
Remember to check the suggested readings, Web sites and videos listed in the other sections of this Organizer's Tool Kit.
You may also wish to check with women's organizations in your community for further ideas on where to get other useful information and resources related to WHM.
What
can I do to commemorate Women's History Month?
The following
is a list of suggestions to help you organize an activity to commemorate
Women's History Month.
YOU COULD...
- Spread the word
about Women's History Month. How?
By sending out an e-mail message to your colleagues and friends
to announce the theme of WHM
with an invitation to visit this page on the DAWN Ontario website
or the section
of the Status of Women Canada Web site dedicated to this special
month.
You
could also put a special message on your fax cover sheet, your voice
mail, your Web site, in your computer screensaver, or in your email
signature line.
- Review the Status
of Women Canada Web site (http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/index_e.html)
or one of the Web sites listed in this Organizer's Tool Kit.
- Order copies of
the material that Status of Women Canada has produced for WHM 2003
and distribute them to your friends and colleagues, and in your
community.
- Put up the poster
that Status of Women Canada has produced for WHM on bulletin
boards or on the walls in your workplace or school.
- Produce your own
WHM promotional poster.
- Ask your librarian
to display books featuring autobiographies and biographies of Canadian
women or books about women's accomplishments in history.
- Write an article
on WHM and submit it for publication in your organization's newsletter,
school paper or local newspaper.
- Set up an exhibit
in your local library, the cafeteria at work or school, etc., featuring
pictures and biographies of famous Canadian women. Distribute WHM
fact sheets produced by Status of Women Canada and other relevant
material to visitors.
- Launch a creative
writing or poster contest in your school, workplace or community on
the WHM theme, illustrating the various roles women have played
throughout Canadian history. Perhaps a local bookstore could offer a
prize or a community paper could publish the winning essay/poster.
- Create your own
Women's Wall of Fame! Cut a large piece of roll paper or fabric, hang
it on a prominent wall, and provide a selection of colored markers.
Invite people to honour a woman by writing her name and any pertinent
facts and comments about her contributions. Encourage others to add
their notes, as well. (Note: Check in advance that the markers do not
bleed through the paper or the fabric).
- Show a video on
women and their accomplishments in history (see list of suggested
videos) and hold a discussion afterwards. It may be helpful to have
a special resource person moderate the discussion.
- Organize a walking
tour of historic sites related to women's achievements in your community,
for example, pioneer homes, grave sites, schoolhouses, museums, etc.
- Host a WHM
newsmaker breakfast, a brown-bag lunch or a community pot-luck dinner
with your colleagues, neighbours or friends, and invite women from several
generations to share their personal experiences.
- During a community
gathering or a special Awards Ceremony, pay tribute to the leadership,
contributions and achievements of pioneer women in your community.
- Request a resolution
from your school or city council proclaiming October to be WHM.
- Invite a guest
speaker - perhaps a former athlete, a women's historian, a living
pioneer or ask your local history society or archives for suggested
speakers. Follow up with a discussion or question-and-answer period
on how women's lives have changed throughout history, and how their
contributions have been recognized.
- Organize a conference,
a round table or a panel discussion with guest speakers to discuss issues
relating to women's contributions throughout history. Members of the
panel could be affiliated with faculties of Women's Studies at a university
or college.
- Present a show,
a concert or a play related to the WHM theme and donate the proceeds
to a women's organization.
- Talk with your
mother, aunts and grandmothers about their lives as women. Capture these
stories on video or audio tape or in writing. Share what you've gathered
with others in your community through newsletters, historical societies,
archives, etc.
- Organize a WHM Halloween Party. Ask your guests to dress up retro (e.g., Charleston style, the 50s, hippies, etc.) or as a famous historical figure who was supportive of women's issues.
IN THE CLASSROOM
- Ask students to
search for information on the contributions of women in Canadian history
or any famous Canadian woman. Turn it into a composition, a poem, a
book report, a speech, a research paper, or even a short skit that could
be performed for the class.
- Organize a quiz
or contest on women's history in Canada (see WHM Quiz 2003 and
the listing of suggested Quizzes and Games).
- Lead a discussion
on topics such as women who helped shape our nation and how they serve
as role models, the evolution of women's status over history, the challenges
for women in the new millennium.
- Research the life
of a Canadian woman in history, then animate this character, answering
questions from classmates.
- Role-play a meeting
of women in history. Perhaps a pioneer woman reformer could meet a contemporary
woman activist. They could compare notes on the type of work they do
and the societal reaction to this role.
- Remember! Prior
to any activity in the classroom, it is important to discuss with the
students the reasons why they think an entire month has been devoted
to the study of women's history. "Why are we studying this topic?"
DON'T FORGET! NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, FEEL FREE TO...
- Order the material
that Status of Women Canada has produced for WHM, copy this Organizer's
Tool Kit - in part or in whole - and distribute it free
of charge to as many people as possible.
- Visit the "Calendar
of Activities"section on the Status of Women Canada Web
site to find out about activities happening across the country to commemorate
WHM. Encourage your friends, family and work colleagues to attend!
- Stretch your creativity
and come up with your own way to celebrate the month of October in honour
of women who played such a key role in shaping the Canada we know today.
- Let us know what you did for WHM by completing the evaluation form, or sending us an e-mail, a fax or a letter.
Please note:
This is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of books on women's history
but rather is a starting point for further exploration and information.
You may find these books at your local library or bookstore or at the National Library of Canada at 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa. For more information about the National Library of Canada, you can visit its Web site at http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ or call (613) 995-9481 or 1-877-896-9481 (toll-free number); TDD: (613) 992-6969 or 1-866-299-1699 (toll-free number).
Books on Women's
History (general)
ENGLISH BOOKS:
BANNERMAN, J. Leading Ladies Canada. Belleville, Ontario: Mika Publishing Company, 1977.
BRAITHWAITE, R. and T. BENN-IRELAND. Some Black Women: Profiles of Black Women in Canada. Toronto: Sister Vision, 1993.
BRAND, Dionne et al. We're Rooted Here and They Can't Pull Us Up : Essays in African Canadian Women's History. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996.
Chinese Canadian National Council. Jin Guo: Voices of Chinese Canadian Women. Toronto: Women's Press, 1992.
COOK, S. et al. Framing Our Past: Canadian Women's History in the Twentieth Century. Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2001.
COOMBER, J. and R. EVANS. Canadian Challenges: Women Changing Canada. Don Mills: Oxford University Press (Canada), 1997.
DUNDAS, B. A History of Women in the Canadian Military. Montréal: Art Global, 2000.
HALL, M. Ann. The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, 2002.
HALL, M. Ann and Dorothy A. RICHARDSON. Fair Ball: Toward Sex Equality in Canadian Sport. Ottawa: The Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1982.
HARSHAW, J.P. When Women Work Together: A History of the Young Women's Christian Association of Canada. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1966.
KEALEY, L. Pursuing Equality: Historical Perspectives on Women in Newfoundland and Labrador. St. John's: Institute of Social and Economic Research, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1993.
KEALEY, L. and J. SANGSTER. Beyond the Vote: Canadian Women and Politics. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989.
KEALEY, L. et al. A Not Unreasonable Claim: Women and Reform in Canada 1880s-1920s. Toronto: The Women's Press, 1979.
KOME, P. Women of Influence: Canadian Women and Politics. Toronto: Doubleday Canada Ltd, 1985.
LIGHT, B. and R. ROACH PIERSON. No Easy Road: Women in Canada - 1920s to 1960s - Volume III. Toronto: New Hogtown Press, 1990.
LIGHT, B. and J. PARR. Canadian Women on the Move - 1867-1920 - Volume II. Toronto: New Hogtown Press, 1983.
LIGHT, B. and A. PRENTICE. Pioneer and Gentlewomen of British North America 1713-1867 - Volume I. Toronto: New Hogtown Press, 1980.
MCDONALD, David and Lauren DREWERY. For the Record : Canada's Greatest Women Athletes. Rexdale, Ontario: John Wiley and Sons Canada Limited and Fitness and Amateur Sport, 1981.
MANN TROMENKOFF, S. and A. PRENTICE. Essays in Canadian Women's History: The Neglected Majority. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Ltd, 1977.
MERRITT, S.E. HERstory: Women from Canada's Past. St. Catharines: Vanwell Publishing Limited, 1993.
PRENTICE, A. et al. Canadian Women: A History. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.
PRENTICE, A. and S. MANN TROFIMENKOFF. The Neglected Majority: Essays in Canadian Women's History - Volume 2. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd, 1985.
RASMUSSEN, L. et al. A Harvest Yet To Reap: A History of Prairie Women. Toronto: The Women's Press, 1976.
ROACH PIERSON, R. "They're still women after all:" The Second World War and Canadian Womanhood. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1986.
SANGSTER, J. Dreams of Equity: Women on the Canadian Left, 1920-1950. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1989.
SHARPE, S. The Gilded Ghetto: Women and Political Power in Canada. Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 1994.
STRONG-BOAG, V. and A.C. FELLMAN. Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women's History - Third Edition. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 1997.
FRENCH BOOKS:
AUGER, G. and R. LAMOTHE. De la poêle à frire à la ligne de feu : la vie quotidienne des Québécoises pendant la Guerre 1939-1945. Montréal: Les Éditions Boréal Express, 1981.
COHEN, Y. Femmes de parole : L'histoire des cercles des fermières du Québec 1915-1990. Montréal: Le jour Éditeur, 1990.
Collectif Clio. L'histoire des femmes au Québec depuis quatre siècles. Montréal: Le Jour éditeur, 1992.
DARSIGNY, M. et al. Ces femmes qui ont bâti Montréal : la petite et la grande histoire des femmes qui ont marqué la vie de Montréal depuis 250 ans. Montréal: Les Éditions du remue-ménage, Montréal, 1994.
DESJARDINS, M. Les femmes de la diaspora canadienne-française : Brève histoire de la FNFCF de 1914 à 1991. Ottawa: Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises, 1991.
HÉBERT, M. et al. Entre le quotidien et le politique : Facettes de l'histoire des femmes francophones en milieu minoritaire. Gloucester: Réseau national d'action éducation femmes, 1997.
LAMOUREUX, D. Citoyennes? Femmes, droit de vote et démocratie. Montréal: Les Éditions du remue-ménage, 1989.
LEMIEUX, D. and L. MERCIER. Les femmes au tournant du siècle - 1880-1940 : âge de la vie, maternité et quotidien. St-Laurent: Diffusion Prologue Inc., 1989.
LÉVESQUE, A. Résistance et transgression : études en histoire des femmes au Québec. Montréal: Les Éditions du remue-ménage, 1995.
MEGYERY, K. Les femmes et la politique canadienne : pour une représentation équitable. Toronto: Dundurn Press; Montréal: Wilson & Lafleur, 1991.
MONTREYNAUD, F. et al. Le XXe siècle des femmes. Paris: Éditions Nathan, 1999.
This section is not
meant to be an exhaustive review of all Web sites related to women's history
but rather a starting point for further exploration and information.
Web Sites on Women and History (general)
BILINGUAL SITES:
Women's History
Month by Status of Women Canada
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/index_e.html
Canada's Digital
Collections (Women) by the Government of Canada
Web site: http://collections.ic.gc.ca/E/SL_women.asp
(partly bilingual)
Celebrating Women's
Achievements by the National Library of Canada
Web site: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/2/12/index-e.html
Famous Five by
the National Archives of Canada
Web site: http://www.archives.ca/05/0530/053011_e.html
HERstory an exhibition
by The Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective (partly bilingual)
Web site: http://library.usask.ca/herstory/index.html
History of Women's
Sport by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport
and Physical Activity (CAAWS) bilingual
Web site : http://www.caaws.ca/english/index.htm
(click on Milestones at the very bottom)
Memorable Canadians
by the National Library of Canada
Web site: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/8/2/
My Grandmother's
Wartime Diary by Veterans Affairs Canada
Web site: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/diary/grandmother
Nursing Sisters
by Veterans Affairs Canada
Web site: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=history/other/nursing
Sporting Lives:
Images of Canadian Athletes by the National Archives of Canada
Web site: http://www.archives.ca/05/0527_e.html
ENGLISH SITES:
Do you share a
birthday with a famous Canadian Woman? by Dawn E. Monroe
Web site: http://members.rogers.com/dawnmonroe/introduction.htm
Famous Canadian
Women (collection of activities and games) by Dawn E. Monroe
Web site: http://members.rogers.com/famouswomen/bluebuttons.htm
TimeLinks: The
historical Web site about Manitoba in the decade from 1910 to 1920
by the River East School Division and the University of Manitoba (scroll
down to Gender and Women's Issues)
Web site: http://timelinks.merlin.mb.ca/referenc/subject.htm
FRENCH SITES:
Chronologie historique
des femmes du Québec by Claire du Sablon
Web site: http://pages.infinit.net/histoire/femmes.html
Faits et histoire
by the Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-françaises
Web site: http://w3.franco.ca/fnfcf/faits.cfm
Les québécoises
ont aussi fait l'histoire (games) by the Musée de la civilisation
de Québec
Web site: http://www.mcq.org/jeux/femmes/index.html
FOR MORE LINKS:
For more links, you can also visit the listing of Online Resources for Canadian Heritage (Women's History) compiled by the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation at http://www.civilization.ca/orch/www04m_e.html#women.
The following is a
selection of relevant films for this year's Women's History Month theme
taken from the more extensive catalogue of the NATIONAL
FILM BOARD (NFB).
FAIR PHYLLIS
(2003, 9min)
Abstract
Fair Phyllis affirms to all women "You're not alone!" in the craziness of busy, multi-tasking lives--what with the demands of career, the kids or just trying to get a moment alone with your man.
This short animated film delights in celebrating the resiliency and resourcefulness of the female sex. Set in an 18th century pastoral countryside, Fair Phyllis the shepherdess struggles with her chaotic woolly world. Will she find balance or crack under the shear stress of it all?
WHERE DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT?
(2001, 22 min)
Abstract
The sexual exploitation and recruitment of teens into the sex trade is a reality in our suburbs today. This graphic drama is a tool for teachers, counsellors and youth groups wanting to explore and address this issue. Jodie is a teenager bored with life, her family, her school and even her friends...until she meets Silas. With a new car, pockets full of cash and all the right lines, he's everything Jodie ever dreamed off. But Silas is no ordinary boyfriend. He's a pimp.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night? illustrates how sex-trade recruiters lure teens away from friends and family, gain their trust, then force them into an often violent life on the streets - sometimes in only 24 devastating hours.
Director: Cliff Skelton
Producers: Svend Erick-Erikson, George Johnson
PRAIRIE WOMEN
(1987, 45 min)Abstract
During the early 1900s, women on the Canadian prairies looked for ways to overcome their isolation. Out of the resulting farm women's organizations grew a group of women possessing remarkable intellectual abilities, social and cultural awareness, and advanced world views. This film illustrates the struggles of these women to achieve a more just and humane society within the framework of the farm movement and in the wider social, political and economic milieus.
Director: Barbara Evans
Producer: Graydon McCrea, Tom Radford, Caryl Brandt
CLASS OF PROMISE
(1985, 42 min)Abstract
Before 1965, not a single woman had received a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. Two decades later, the class of '84 was almost 25% female. Class of Promise tracks the progress of selected students and the careers of several female graduates. Their impact on management in the male-dominated business world is considerable, but ultimately they still find themselves wrestling with issues career-oriented men seldom have to face, particularly the conflict between family and work.
Director: Barbara Sears
Producer: John Spotton, John Kramer
OLDER, STRONGER, WISER
(1979, 27 min)Abstract
Five Black women talk about their lives in rural and urban Canada between the 1920s and 1950s. What emerges is a unique history of Canada's Black people and the legacy of their community elders. Older Stronger Wiser is the first film in a Studio D series entitled Women at the Well.
Director: Claire Prieto
Producer: Ginny Stikeman, Rita Fraticelli
DOCTOR WOMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DOCTOR ELIZABETH BAGSHAW
(1978, 28 min)Abstract
Elizabeth Bagshaw was a forerunner of the women's movement. As one of the first women to practise medicine in Canada, she had to overcome society's bias against women in medicine. During her seventy-year career she helped to instigate change in public opinion on that issue, as well as the issue of birth control. The film captures the personality of this remarkable woman through a contemporary interview and re-enactments of episodes from her youth. The sepia tones of the re-enactments are in keeping with the film techniques of the time, giving the viewer a strong sense of the period. The film is of special interest to persons interested in the evolution of women's roles in Canadian society.
Director: Marc McCurdy
Producer: Beryl Fox, Don Hopkins
THE LADY FROM GREY COUNTY
(1977, 26 min)Abstract
On March 8, 1922, Agnes Campbell Macphail became Canada's first woman Member of Parliament. For the next nineteen years, the Independent MP used her wit, courage and honesty to fight for prison reform, old-age pensions, the co-operative movement and the many other causes she believed in. Made up of old photographs, archival footage and quotations from her speeches and writings, this film documents a significant Canadian and the turbulence of her times.
Director: Janice Brown
Producer: Kathleen Shannon, Margaret Wescott
LA QUÉBÉCOISE
(1972, 27mins)Abstract
The French-Canadian woman is no longer without legal rights and career opportunities. Speaking of the struggle to bring about change, the evolving role of women in Québec society, and the challenges still ahead are Senator Thérèse Casgrain, Judge Réjane Colas, a nun, a Playboy bunny, and several feminists.
Director: Les Nirenberg
Producer: Ian McLaren
Where can I rent videos?
The National Film Board (NFB) and Vidéo Femmes offer a selection of videos on women's history and women's issues.
Many of the NFB films are available through your local public library as well as a number of sales outlets across the country. Check the NFB collection on the Web site at http://cmm.onf.ca/E/recherche. You can also order videos directly from the NFB by calling its toll-free number 1-800-267-7710 or (514) 283-9900 (Montréal region only).
Vidéo Femmes also offers a selection of videos produced by women. Visit its Web site at http://videofemmes.org/repertoire/. For more information on renting its videos, contact Vidéo Femmes by telephone at (418) 529-9188, fax at (418) 529-4891 or e-mail at info@videofemmes.org.
- Which Canadian
girl, at the age of 13, developed a printer for Blissymbolics,
an international pictograph language that allows persons to communicate
by computer?
- Wilhemina Gates
- Rachel Zimmerman
- Esther Dyson
- She is the first
woman geologist in the Canadian government and the first woman elected
to the Royal Society of Canada.
- Roberta Bondar
- Alice Wilson
- Olivia Poole
- In 1984, Daurene
Lewis was the first Black woman to become mayor of a North American
city. Name the city.
- Lethbridge, Alberta
- Leamington, Ontario
- Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
- Match the year
with the province when these women were able to vote:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Yukon
- Northwest Territories
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Ontario
- Quebec
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
- Newfoundland
- 1916
- 1916
- 1916
- 1917
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1919
- 1922
- 1925
- 1940
- 1951
- Who led the challenge
for changes to the Indian Act to restore status
and band membership rights to Aboriginal women who had lost those rights
through marriage to non-Aboriginals?
- Ethel Blondin-Andrew
- Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell
- Hilda May Torok Binns
- Who am I? I was
the host of the popular Radio-Canada program Fémina
in the 1930s. I also played a key role in the struggle for women's
suffrage in Quebec and I was a member of the Canadian Senate.
- Thérèse Casgrain
- Aline Desjardins
- Michelle Tisseyre
- She was the
first woman to be elected to Canada's House of Commons in 1921,
serving in Parliament until 1940.
- Irene Parlby
- Agnes Macphail
- Lise Fortier
- True or False:
Julie Payette was the first Canadian woman in space.
- When did Canadian
women win the right to vote in federal elections?
- 1902
- 1918
- 1945
- When did Canada
first commemorate Women's History Month?
- 1967
- 1977
- 1992
1. B) Rachel Zimmerman
Rachel Zimmerman of London, Ontario in 1985 at age 13, developed
a printer for Blissymbolics, an international language using pictures
or symbols for communication that permits persons who are deaf, persons
with cerebral palsy, stroke survivors and others to communicate by computer.
She won the 1985 silver medal at the Canada-Wide Science Fair and
a 1990 YTV Youth Achievement Award for her invention.
2. B) Alice Wilson
Often denied the privileges of her male colleagues, Alice Wilson never
gave up pursuing her career as a geologist. Nearly 30 years after
beginning her career, Alice Wilson became the first woman elected to the
Royal Society of Canada.
3. C) Annapolis
Royal, Nova Scotia
In 1984, Daurene Lewis was elected Mayor of Annapolis Royal. She
was not only the first black mayor in Nova Scotia, but also the first
black woman mayor in North America. Four years later, Daurene Lewis entered
provincial politics, becoming the first black woman in her province to
run in a provincial election.
4. A-i (1916), B-iv (1917), C-vii (1919), D-xii (1951), E-ii (1916), F-iii (1916), G-v (1917), H-xi (1940), I-viii (1919), J-vi (1918), K-ix (1922), L-x (1925)
5. B) Jeannette
Vivian Corbiere Lavell
Before Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell brought the issue to the attention
of the courts, Native women were not entitled to status of band membership
rights under the Indian Act when they married a non-native. Native
men marrying a non-native woman were not deprived of these rights. Continuing
Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell's efforts, Sandra Lovelace took the case
to the United Nations International Human Rights Commission. In 1985,
section 12 of the Indian Act was repealed.
6. A) Thérèse
Casgrain
In 1970, Thérèse Casgrain was appointed to the Senate.
She was also the president of the NDP in Quebec, ran for political office
(federally and provincially) between 1942-1962 and was involved in
many political, social and labor activities to promote social justice
and the advancement of women.
7. B) Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail was also the first woman sworn into the Ontario Legislature.
Rae Luckock, another female candidate, was also elected and was sworn
into the Ontario Legislature at the same time.
8. False:
Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman in space. Julie Payette became
the first female francophone in space, the first Canadian to participate
in an assembly mission for the International Space Station and the first
Canadian to board the Space Station. Today, she is the chief astronaut
for the Canadian Space Agency.
9. B) 1918
Aboriginal women, women with an intellectual disability and those that
were in prison did not win this right more than 40 years later.
10. C) 1992
For more Quizzes and Games, check:
WHM 2002
Games (for youth) by Status of Women Canada
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/2002/game_e.html
WHM 2002
Quiz (First! First! First!) by Status of Women Canada
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/2002/quiz_e.html
WHM 2001
Quiz (Canadian women volunteers) by Status of Women Canada
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/2001/quiz_e.html
WHM 2000
Quiz (Women of the 20th century) by Status of Women
Canada
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/2000/quiz_e.html
WHM 1999
Quiz (Francophone women) by Status of Women Canada
Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/whm/1999/index_e.html#QUIZ
Les québécoises
ont aussi fait l'histoire by the Musée de la civilisation de
Québec (in French)
Web site: http://www.mcq.org/jeux/femmes/index.html
Famous Canadian
Women by Dawn E. Monroe (in English)
Web site: http://members.rogers.com/famouswomen/bluebuttons.htm
Follow this link to Status of Women Canada's Women's History Month 2003
Return to DAWN Ontario website
Page last updated June 13, 2003