WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH | CANADA

In 1992, the Government of Canada designated October as Women’s History Month, marking the beginning of an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of women and girls throughout Canada’s history.

This year’s theme, Women at Work: Economic Growth Past, Present and Future, highlights the significant contributions women have made to the workforce throughout history, and the critical role they continue to play in driving economic innovation and progress that has benefited Canada as a whole.

At this link, you can see a timeline of notable moments in Canadian History in their journey for gender equality, including 1929 when women were finally declared ‘persons.’

This link takes you to an overview of the ‘trailblazers’ of Canada.  One not mentioned is Georgiana Alexandrina Fraser, who was Canada’s first female journalistic stenographer.  She blazed a trail by inspiring and teaching more young women to do the same, and the struggle of two of them is described in this Maclean’s article from 1954:

“SEVEN years ago, two energetic but penniless young women freshly out of His Majesty’s services were suddenly faced with the sobering [a]nd dismaying realization that they were once [a]gain living in a man’s world.

Ethel Zatyko and Rena Pettypiece had taken a twelve-month course in the hope of becoming court stenographers. They decided to pursue their chosen vocation in Alberta, which they regarded as a province of oil booms and millionaires. They wrote letters of application to court officials. But when the answers came, their hopes were dashed: the RCAF might recruit women wireless operators, but Alberta doesn’t allow women court reporters.

The girls were stunned and indignant, but never tearful.

They decided to go to Alberta anyway and show what women can do.”