Modern-day women philanthropists are putting their unique mark on the world of giving. Their focus is on sharing their wealth to uplift people.- BY Lena Haram

Remarkable Canadian women who made or are making significant contributions to all fields of endeavor and communities are trailblazers, influencers, and inspirations. They are leaders, activists, educators, politicians, and entrepreneurs, showcasing the diverse roles played by Canadian women. Thousands of pages can be written about their achievements, so the following women, past and present, are just a few examples of the empowering influence of Canadian women in improving lives and communities.

Women Become “Persons”

Nellie McClung (1873-1951) was an over-achiever in every sense of the word. She was a suffragist, reformer, legislator, author, and women’s rights activist. Born in Souris Valley, Manitoba, she married Robert Wesley McClung in 1896, a druggist whose mother was provincial president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Nellie became a prominent member also, balancing her personal and professional life with remarkable skill.

In 1908, McClung published a best-seller book titled Sowing Seeds in Danny. In 1911, the family moved to Winnipeg, where McClung became a key speaker in the women’s rights and reform movement, a time when such advocacy was met with significant resistance. She was a leader in the 1914 liberal campaign against a conservative government opposing women’s suffrage. After moving to Alberta, McClung continued her fight for prohibition, female suffrage, dower rights for women, and factory safety legislation. Perhaps one of Nellie’s most well-known accomplishments was her participation in the Famous 5, a group of women that led to the government finally declaring in 1929 that women are “persons” and eligible for public office. She firmly believed that women should be involved in politics because of their maternal interests and instincts on matters like healthcare for women and children. Her work had a profound impact, changing the course of history and opening doors for women in politics and public life.

Refusing to Move From Her Seat

On 8 November 1946, Viola Desmond (1914-1965), an entrepreneur who owned a beauty business and school, had to make an unplanned stop in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, when her car broke down. While waiting for the repairs, she tried to buy a ticket for floor seating at the Roseland Theatre. An African-Canadian, she was unknowingly given a balcony seat ticket instead because the balcony was where non-white attendees sat. She was told to move, but she asked the cashier for a floor seat, which was refused. Believing she had paid for a floor seat ticket, Desmond took the balcony ticket to the cashier to exchange the ticket. The cashier said, “I’m sorry but I’m not permitted to sell downstairs tickets to you people.”

Desmond took a stand by sitting on the main floor anyway, upon which the manager said the theatre had the right to refuse admission to any objectionable person. She pointed to the ticket in her hand and said she had not been refused admission. Remaining in her seat, a police officer dragged her to the jail, where an arrest warrant was served. In court, she was charged with not paying a one-cent amusement tax, the difference between the prices of upstairs and downstairs tickets.

Fined $26, Desmond had no legal representation and no recourse. However, the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People raised money to fight the conviction. In addition, the Clarion newspaper, Black-owned and operated, covered the story on the front page. Attempts to overturn the conviction in the court system failed with the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruling against Desmond. Desmond’s resistance set the wheels in motion for ending segregation in 1954.

Her story did not end with her death in 1965. Desmond’s sister made a prolonged effort to share her story. On 15 April 2010, Desmond was granted a free pardon by the Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor and received a public apology from the Premier. Desmond brought nationwide attention to the African-Nova Scotian community, and today, a commemorative plaque at the Former Roseland Theatre reads, “Desmond’s resistance to racial discrimination was an important milestone in Canada’s human rights history and an inspiration for the civil rights movement in this country.”

A Seat at the Table

Avril Phaedra Douglas Campbell (Kim Campbell) is a lawyer, professor, politician, diplomat, and Canada’s first female prime minister. Kim, born in 1947, is a woman of firsts. From 25 June 1933 to 3 November 1993, she was Canada’s first and only female prime minister. Campbell was also the first female justice minister and first female attorney general and introduced legislation that included giving women more protection in cases of rape and sexual assault.

In 1993, Campbell became the first female minister of National Defense and Veterans Affairs. She was only the second woman to have a seat among the leaders at a G-7 summit meeting in Tokyo. Since leaving government service, Campbell has worked with many organizations promoting democracy and equal rights, including the Club of Madrid, World Movement for Democracy, Climate Action Reserve, and many more. She has been recognized as one of the world’s most influential women. Campbell continues to exert her influence, serving as the Founding Principal of the Peter Lougheed Leadership College at the University of Alberta. She is a trustee of the International Center for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King's College London.

So Many Firsts as an Aboriginal Woman

Roberta Louise Jamieson, born in 1953, is another woman of firsts. A member of the Mohawk tribe, she grew up on the Six Nations Grand River Territory reserve. While attending McGill University in Montreal, she became an activist, helping the James Bay Cree defend their hunting and fishing lands against flooding by a Quebec government hydroelectric dam. Jamieson became an executive assistant to George Manuel, Chief of the National Indian Brotherhood, strengthening her activism and inspiring her to pursue law.

Jamieson became the first Indigenous Canadian woman to earn a law degree, after which she worked at the Indian Commission of Ontario. She also spoke at the All-Chiefs Conference, which led to the transformation of the National Indian Brotherhood into the Assembly of First Nations. In 1982, Jamieson became the first non-parliamentarian appointed to a House of Commons Committee. The Committee’s Special Task Force on Indian Self-Government produced the Penner Report, a framework for Indigenous self-government. In 1989, Jamieson became the first woman appointed ombudsman of Ontario and, in 2001, the first woman elected Chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Her focus was on creating a more inclusive system of decision-making because she did not believe people with no Indigenous ties should be telling them how to live. In 2004, Roberta Jamieson became president and CEO of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, which supports culturally relevant education for Indigenous youth.

Jamieson is a founding member of the Canadian Native Law Student Association, founding chair of ImagineNATIVE, an international media arts festival, and a founding member of the Centre for Research in Women’s Health.

Pursuing Social and Political Rights

These are certainly only some of the Canadian women who have pursued equality and inclusion of women in their country. Advocating for women’s and children’s social and political rights, the influential women all have one thing in common: a desire to transform lives through inclusion. They used their influence and skills differently, but they were and are change agents. The women leaders have made significant contributions to their communities and society at large, breaking barriers and inspiring future generations to continue the fight for justice, equity, and cultural preservation.