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Canadian women who broke barriers in politics
These four women paved the way for women in the political landscape. The representation of women within Canadian politics reached a milestone just over 100 years ago. It was Dec. 6, 1921, when Agnes Campbell Macphail became the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons and the first woman parliamentarian in the Parliament of Canada as an MP. Macpahil’s monumental win was not the only milestone moment for women that year. Held on Sept. 20, 1921, the 44th federal election was the first election where women had the right to vote. Throughout her political career, Macphail represented farmers in the southeastern area of her hometown of Grey…
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What the Battle of the Sexes represents
How a tennis tournament in the 1970s launched the issue of gender equality into the spotlight. Throughout history, women have been looked at as second-class citizens no matter where they lived. Girls were not offered the same educational opportunities as boys. Women could not obtain certain jobs and were mainly viewed as caregivers for their spouses and children. The 20th century marked the beginning of significant change for women. Women’s sports teams started to emerge during the 1890s and early 1900s. They were now allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time, beginning with the 1900 Paris Summer Games. The 1940s would see the debut of professional women’s…
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Memorable female Olympic athletes
A look at inspiring women throughout Olympic history who helped pave the way for female athletes. Throughout the 20th century, many people fought and succeeded in being seen as equal no matter their gender, orientation, race or religion. The Paris 1900 Summer Olympics allowed women to compete for the first time. The games saw 22 women compete in five sports: tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf. Being an athlete was not the only milestone that women achieved during the 1900 Games. Winning an Olympic medal was another one. Helen de Portals, a Swiss-American countess, was the first woman to compete in the Olympics and also became the first woman to…
