Famous 5 Ottawa would like to congratulate six outstanding Canadian women, including two members of First Nations, who are receiving the 2016 Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case today in Winnipeg.
The ceremony is taking place in Manitoba this year in recognition of how the province was the first to grant women the vote 100 years ago in 1916.
The two First Nations winners are Cecilia Benoit, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kwaw First Nation of Newfoundland now at the University of British Columbia, who conducts research in areas including Indigenous women’s health and addictions and Diane Redsky, a member of First Nation Shoal Lake, and Executive Director of the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, the largest non-profit Indigenous led organization in Manitoba.
The other winners are Anna-Louise Crago, a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto, who has conducted research and advocacy for sex trade workers; Lucia Lorenzi of Port Coquitlam B.C., an advocate for safe supportive cultures for women who has fought against issues of rape culture, harassment and misogyny; Pascale Navarro of Montreal, a journalist, film-maker and author who has focused on women’s contributions and participation in politics and decision-making; and Norma Jean Profitt of Yarmouth Nova Scotia, who has worked as an academic and at the grass-roots level to advance equality for women and girls and end violence against women.
“These six women are exceptional individuals who have inspired us all by their fight for equal rights for women,” says the Chair of Famous 5 Ottawa Chair, Isabel Metcalfe. “They are true nation builders in the spirit of the Famous Five.”
“Following the legacy of the original Famous Five, they are individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the goal of equality for women and girls in Canada,” said Metcalfe.
The Persons Case marks a milestone moment in 1929 when five Canadian women from Alberta – Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and Nellie McClung – won the right for women to be legally considered “persons” in Canada.
Famous 5 Ottawa - Founded in 1997, the Famous 5 Ottawa is a volunteer group that celebrates the achievements of women who have made significant contributions locally, nationally and internationally. It mentors and encourages young women to consider a career in public life; provides inspiration and education to young Canadians about nation building; and celebrates the contributions of ordinary women who achieve extraordinary results.
For more information about the Famous 5 Ottawa, please click: http://famous5ottawa.ca/
