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First ever International Women's Day
The first IWD was observed on 19 March 1911 in Germany. -
Women in Canada get the right to vote
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First woman elected to Canadian Parliament
December 6 - Agnes Campbell Macphail. (1890-1954.) She was the only woman elected to the Canadian parliament in 1921 when women first had the right to vote for parliament. She is the first woman to sit in the Canadian Parliament. -
First Canadian woman competes in the Olympics
Cecile Eustace Smith, a 15-year-old figure skater, is the frist Canadian woman to represent Canada in an Olympic Games. She skated in both the Ladies individual and in the pairs events at the first official Olympic Games, Chamonix, France. -
First Canadian woman delegate attends the League of Nations
Agnes Macphail (1890-1954) is sent to Geneva, Switzerland as Canada's first woman delegate to the League of Nations (that would become the United Nations) -
Women become "persons" in Canada
1929: Women found to be "persons" in Canada and therefore able to become members of the Senate. -
Canadian women allowed to join the Army
Legislation is changed to allow women to enlist in the Canadian army. -
UN General Assembly adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories. -
Canada establishes Royal Commission on the Status of Women
In 1967 the Royal Commission on the Status of Women was established. -
First women join the RCMP
September 17 - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police accept four women recruits; the first females to join the force. -
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International Women's Year
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Started celebrating International Women's Day on March 8
World date change: International Women's Day now celebrated on March 8, but before it was celebrated in March 19. -
Period: to
United Nations Decade for Women
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Canada adopts the Canadian Human Rights Act
1977 Parliament adopted the Canadian Human Rights Act, which forbids discrimination on the basis of sex and ensures women equal pay for work of equal value. The Act also created the Canadian Human Rights Commission, to promote knowledge of human rights in Canada and to encourage people to follow principles of equality; to provide a way to resolve individual complaints; and to help reduce barriers to equality in employment and access to services. -
UN General Assembly adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. -
First woman gets appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada
Bertha Wilson (born 1923) is the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. -
14 women are gunned down in Montreal
December 6 - 14 young female engineering students are murdered by a gunman at Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal. -
World Conference on Human Rights
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First female Prime Minister of Canada
June 25 - Hon. Kim Campbell (born 1947) becomes the first woman Prime Minister of Canada and serves until November 4, 1993. -
Fourth World Conference on Women
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UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security
Resolution 1325 (2000)Adopted by the Security Council at its 4213th meeting, on 31 October 2000. -
UN Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence in Conflict
Resolution 1820 (2008) Adopted by the Security Council at its 5916th meeting, on 19 June 2008. -
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