Preface Acknowledgements 1. The Canadian Women's Movement Documents Marjorie Griffen Cohen 2. The Politics of the Body Documents Ruth Roach Pierson 3.The Mainstream Women's Movement and the Politics of Difference Documents Ruth Roach Pierson 4. Social Policy and Social Services Documents Marjorie Griffen Cohen 5. Women, Law, and the Justice System Documents Paula Bourne 6. Women, Culture, and Communications Philinda Masters Permissions Index

Preface Acknowledgements 1.The Politics of the Domestic Sphere Documents Ruth Roach Pierson 2. Paid Work Documents Marjorie Griffen Cohen 3. Education and Training Documents Ruth Roach Pierson 4. Feminisms Effect on Economic Policy Documents Marjorie Griffen Cohen 5. Global Issues Documente Ruth Roach Pierson List of Acronyms Permissions Bibliography Index

A timely and relevant collection of stories about groundbreaking Canadian women, present and past. Canadian women have long been trailblazers, often battling incredible odds and discrimination in the process. Here are biographies of more than one hundred of these remarkable women, from the famous to the lesser known. There are activists and architects, engineers and explorers, poets and politicians and so many more. Each category pairs a historical groundbreaker with a present-day woman making her mark in that same field. Together, these women tell the story of Canada. And together, they offer a vision of what’s possible. A unique look at Canadian history sure to inspire all children to blaze trails of their own.

This accessible and engaging book introduces readers to key historical events, and the women who were central to them, in the struggle for women’s equality in Canada. Four and a half decades after the report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women, the feminist struggle is as necessary as ever — but thanks to the hard work of activist women, many forms of discrimination are a thing of the past. Beginning before the colonization of Canada by European settlers, Penni Mitchell explores gender roles within First Nations societies, where women often brokered peace agreements, oversaw property and advised leaders. She also examines the struggles of First Nations women to challenge Indian Act discrimination against women and children. Exploring the early days of colonial settlement, Mitchell notes that women were among Canada’s first administrators, and they started its first schools and hospitals. Later, women were among the first to oppose slavery, internment and racial segregation. Demanding a greater say in their country, women fought for the right to vote, attend university and divorce. They fought for child protection laws, public health clinics, minimum wages, equal pay and better working conditions. About Canada: Women’s Rights considers the ways in which women’s lives have been transformed by the legalization of birth control and abortion and the removal of patriarchal privilege from family law. About Canada: Women’s Rights introduces readers to some of the many women who changed Canada through their efforts to secure greater equality. While a few are well known, many of these women and the battles they won have been forgotten. They deserve a greater place in Canada’s history.