Women's Rights Timeline

1663

775 French orphan girls and young women are sent to New France under the banner "Filles du Roi" to marry settlers.

1850

1867

1639

Women in Ontario got the right to vote for school trustees if they owned property — regardless of marital status.

The Ursuline Nuns establish a school for girls in Quebec.

1875

Emily Stowe became the first female doctor in Canada, with a practice in Toronto. Her training was from the United States and she did not obtain a Canadian medical licence for another 13 years.

Jenny Trout became the first officially licensed female doctor in Canada, based in Toronto.

1918

Women over 21 get the right to vote at the federal elections. Women also won the franchise in Nova Scotia.

1876

1916

1910

Between January and April, women in Manitoba won the right to vote in provincial elections followed by women in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

Emily Stowe founded the Toronto Women's Literary Club, that was eventually renamed the Dominion Women's Enfranchisement Association.

The National Council of Women go public in favour of suffrage.

1912

Painter Emily Carr travelled to the Queen Charlotte Islands and painted the images that would later make her an honorary member of the Group of Seven.

1919

Women get the right to run for election to the House of Commons, and also get the right to vote in provincial elections in New Brunswick.

1928

1922

In the first Olympic Games that allowed women to compete, Ethel Catherwood won an gold medal in high jump and Canada won gold in the women's 400 meter sprint relay.

Right to vote in P.E.I. elections extended to women.

1927

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that

women are not "persons" under the law.

1925

1921

Women in Newfoundland get the right to vote.

Agnes Macphail was the first woman elected to

the House of Commons.

1929

The Famous Five appealed their case the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England and win. Women are declared "persons" under the law

and qualify to be appointed to the Senate.

1940

1956

1972

Women in Quebec finally allowed to vote provincially.

Lucille Wheeler won Canada's first Olympic medal for downhill skiing. This year, the federal government also passed the Female Employees Equal Pay Act.

Rosemary Brown became the first black women elected to provincial office in Canada. She was an MLA in B.C. for 14 years. Also, Monique Begin was elected to House of Commons from Quebec and Pauline McGibbon was appointed Lieutenant-governor in Ontario, the first for any province.

1951

1957

Charlotte Whitton became the first female mayor in Canada, running Ottawa for almost 14 years.

Ellen Fairclough first woman in the federal cabinet.

1984

Daurene Lewis became the first black woman mayor in North America as mayor of Annapolis Royal N.S. Also this year, Jeanne Sauve was appointed governor-general.

Women's Rights Timeline

1992

Roberta Bondar flew in the Space Shuttle Discovery.

2010

Kathy Dunderdale was sworn in as the first female premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

A timeline of Canadian women in history

Lisa Keenan, Social Justice 12