Celebrating Women Who Shaped Canadian History
Throughout March, we celebrated Women's History Month. In particular, you may have seen efforts to further recognize the achievements of women throughout history. However, as the month comes to an end, our learning shouldn't stop here. Women's contributions deserve recognition all year round.
In this respect, for many high school seniors, March is also an exciting but nerve-wracking time of the year. With university offers coming in and big decisions ahead, it's natural to reflect on what the future holds. However, stepping into specific fields and/or career paths can sometimes feel daunting for young women. That's because so much of what we're taught focuses on male achievements, often leaving out the countless women who have paved the way before us.
However, I can 100% confirm history doesn't and shouldn’t define your path. You do!
To inspire you as you take on new challenges, I want to highlight women who have broken barriers and reshaped the world. You are the next generation of leaders, innovators, changemakers, and more. That being said, hopefully, as you step forward, you can build a more inclusive future where women's contributions are seen, valued, and celebrated!
Here are just a few Canadian women whose stories deserve more recognition1:
★ Jeanne Mance: Founder of Canada’s First Hospital
○ Jeanne Mance was a nurse and one of the co-founders of Montreal. She established Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, the first hospital in Canada, in 1645. This is an important milestone for women, as she not only provided medical care, but also took on a leadership role during a time where very few women held leadership roles
★ Dr. Emily Stowe: Canada’s First Woman Physician to Practice Medicine2
○ Dr. Emily Stowe was denied admission to Canadian medical schools because of her gender. This led Dr. Emily Stowe to pursue medicine in the United States before returning to Canada. Upon returning, she became the country’s first woman to practice medicine (However, this was not easy for her, as she had to prove her worth and it took some time to receive her medical license in Canada.). She later became a fierce advocate for women’s rights and women in medicine.
★ The Famous Five (Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and Henrietta Muir Edwards): Fighters for Women’s Rights
○ These five women were instrumental in the Persons Case of 1929. In particular, this case successfully challenged the Supreme Court’s ruling that women were not considered “persons” under Canadian law. As a result, their victory allowed women to be appointed to the Senate and was a significant milestone in the fight for gender equality.
★ Nellie Cournoyea: First Indigenous Woman to Lead a Provincial or Territorial Government
○ Nellie Cournoyea is a Canadian politician who made history as the first woman to serve as premier of a Canadian territory.3 She is also the second woman and the first Indigenous woman, to lead a province or territory in Canada.3 She has been a lifelong advocate for Indigenous self-governance and community development.
★ Kim Campbell: First woman Prime Minister of Canada
○ In 1993, Kim Campbell became Canada’s first and, so far, only female prime minister. Even though her tenure was brief, her role in the country still remains a landmark moment in Canadian history, showing that women also can belong in leadership.
All that being said, the list of women accomplishments goes on. From this, we can see women’s history isn’t just about looking back, it’s also about shaping the future, our future! Therefore, by recognizing and celebrating the contributions of women, we can break down the barriers that still exist today.
If we want a world where young women feel empowered to step into leadership, STEM, activism, business, and many more fields, we must continue to amplify our voices and take up space in fields that have historically overlooked us, we can further pave the way for future generations of women!
Resources:
[1] Gouvernement du Canada. (2024, October 23). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/womens-history-month/women-history-canada-timeline.html
[2] Emily Stowe | the Canadian encyclopedia. (n.d.-a). https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/emily-stowe
[3] Canada, W. and G. E. (2025, February 10). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/women-impact/politics/nellie-cournoyea.html
