Women in the 14th–29th Canadian Parliaments
Women were first allowed to vote at the federal level in Canada in the 1917 general election in connection with military service, and were allowed to vote under the same conditions as men beginning on May 24, 1918. The next four elections saw only one woman elected: Agnes Macphail. The 1936 election saw two women in the House together for the first time. A by-election in 1941 saw a woman elected to the governing caucus for the first time. The 22nd federal election in 1953 was a slight breakthrough, electing four women, which was 1.5% of the House. Every Parliament thenafter would have at least two women at a time, except for the 28th Parliament from 1968 to 1972, in which Grace MacInnis was the only woman. Then 30th Parliament, elected in 1974, was another breakthrough, containing ten women MPs. The number of women in the House would not fall below ten again.
Meanwhile in the Senate, Cairine Wilson was appointed as the first woman Senator in 1930. Additional women were added every few years, but it was not until two appointments in March 1979 that the Senate would even have ten women serving simultaneously.
Members of the House of Commons
Parliament | House members | Party | Riding | |
---|---|---|---|---|
14th Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Agnes Macphail | Progressive | Grey Southeast, ON | |
15th Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Agnes Macphail | Progressive | Grey Southeast, ON | |
16th Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Agnes Macphail | Progressive | Grey Southeast, ON | |
17th Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Agnes Macphail | Progressive | Grey Southeast, ON | |
18th Parliament of Canada 0.8% women MPs |
Martha Black | Independent Conservative | Yukon, YK | |
Agnes Macphail | United Farmers of Ontario-Labour | Grey—Bruce, ON | ||
19th Parliament of Canada 0.8% women MPs |
Cora Taylor Casselman* | Liberal | Edmonton East, AB | |
Dorise Nielsen | Unity | North Battleford, SK | ||
20th Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Gladys Strum | Co-operative Commonwealth Federation | Qu'Appelle, SK | |
21st Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Ellen Fairclough* | Progressive Conservative | Hamilton West, ON | |
22nd Parliament of Canada 1.5% women MPs |
Margaret Aitken | Progressive Conservative | York—Humber, ON | |
Sybil Bennett | Progressive Conservative | Halton, ON | ||
Ellen Fairclough | Progressive Conservative | Hamilton West, ON | ||
Marie Ann Shipley | Liberal | Timiskaming, ON | ||
23rd Parliament of Canada 0.8% women MPs |
Margaret Aitken | Progressive Conservative | York—Humber, ON | |
Ellen Fairclough | Progressive Conservative | Hamilton West, ON | ||
24th Parliament of Canada 1.9% women MPs |
Margaret Aitken | Progressive Conservative | York—Humber, ON | |
Ellen Fairclough | Progressive Conservative | Hamilton West, ON | ||
Judy LaMarsh* | Liberal | Niagara Falls, ON | ||
Margaret Macdonald* | Progressive Conservative | Kings, PE | ||
Jean Wadds* | Progressive Conservative | Grenville—Dundas, ON | ||
25th Parliament of Canada 2.3% women MPs |
Ellen Fairclough | Progressive Conservative | Hamilton West, ON | |
Isabel Hardie | Liberal | Northwest Territories, NT | ||
Judy LaMarsh | Liberal | Niagara Falls, ON | ||
Margaret Macdonald | Progressive Conservative | Kings, PE | ||
Jean Wadds | Progressive Conservative | Grenville—Dundas, ON | ||
26th Parliament of Canada 2.3% women MPs |
Pauline Jewett | Liberal | Northumberland, ON | |
Eloise Jones* | Progressive Conservative | Saskatoon, SK | ||
Margaret Konantz | Liberal | Winnipeg South, MB | ||
Judy LaMarsh | Liberal | Niagara Falls, ON | ||
Margaret Rideout* | Liberal | Westmorland, NB | ||
Jean Wadds | Progressive Conservative | Grenville—Dundas, ON | ||
27th Parliament of Canada 1.5% women MPs |
Judy LaMarsh | Liberal | Niagara Falls, ON | |
Grace MacInnis | New Democrat | Vancouver Kingsway, BC | ||
Margaret Rideout | Liberal | Westmorland, NB | ||
Jean Wadds | Progressive Conservative | Grenville—Dundas, ON | ||
28th Parliament of Canada 0.4% women MPs |
Grace MacInnis | New Democrat | Vancouver Kingsway, BC | |
29th Parliament of Canada 1.9% women MPs |
Monique Bégin | Liberal | Saint-Michel, QC | |
Flora MacDonald | Progressive Conservative | Kingston and the Islands, ON | ||
Grace MacInnis | New Democrat | Vancouver Kingsway, BC | ||
Albanie Morin | Liberal | Louis-Hébert, QC | ||
Jeanne Sauvé | Liberal | Ahuntsic, QC |
* By by-election.
Senators
Senator | Parliaments | Designation | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ann Bell | 28th– | Nanaimo-Malaspina, BC | Liberal | |
Thérèse Casgrain | 28th | Mille Isles, QC | Independent | |
Iva Campbell Fallis | 17th–22nd | Peterborough, ON | Progressive Conservative | |
Muriel McQueen Fergusson | 21st– | Fredericton, NB | Liberal | |
Nancy Hodges | 22nd–26th | Victoria, BC | Liberal | |
Florence Elsie Inman | 22nd– | Murray Harbour, PE | Liberal | |
Olive Lillian Irvine | 24th–28th | Lisgar, MB | Progressive Conservative | |
Marianna Beauchamp Jodoin | 21st–27th | Saurel, QC | Liberal | |
Mary Elizabeth Kinnear | 27th– | Welland, ON | Liberal | |
Renaude Lapointe | 28th– | Mille Isles, QC | Liberal | |
Joan Neiman | 28th– | Peel, ON | Liberal | |
Margaret Norrie | 28th– | Colchester-Cumberland, NS | Liberal | |
Josie Alice Quart | 24th– | Victoria, QC | Progressive Conservative | |
Cairine Wilson | 16th–24th | Rockcliffe, ON | Liberal |
See also
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External links
- Women in Parliament - Parliament of Canada
- Current lists of women in the House of Commons - Parliament of Canada
- Historical lists of women in the House of Commons - Parliament of Canada