The Women’s History Project in partnership with the University of Ottawa, the Famous 5 Foundation and Famous 5 Ottawa are hosting
Power of Women’s Voices in Public Life
with special guest, the Rt. Honourable
Kim Campbell, PC, CC, OBC, KC.
University of Ottawa
55 Laurier Avenue East Room 4101 Ottawa, ON K1N 9A7
4:30pm - 6:00pm, VIP Reception for Sponsors and ticket holders - Tickets $125.
6:00pm - 7:00pm, Public Event - Tickets $20.
7:00pm - 7:30pm, Networking reception
Together we salute a truly remarkable woman and celebrate Ms. Campbell’s many contributions to Canada and Canadian history. We want you to be part of this important event.
While women are still under-represented in parliament and legislatures across Canada, in front of and behind the camera, in boardrooms, partner meetings in law firms and union assemblies, our voices are now heard. It wasn’t always that way and today is about women in public life using their voices to improve the lives of women and girls.
October 18 commemorates the Persons Case when the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council in 1929 confirmed that women were, indeed, persons and therefore eligible to be appointed to the Senate. This is the first significant international statement of equality!
The year after the success of the Persons Case, in 1930, Carine Wilson was appointed to the Senate of Canada championing such issues as the admission of European refugees to Canada, divorce legislation to give women more rights and independence, a national health insurance scheme and preventative medicine, including sexually transmitted infection, and maternal mortality.
In 1921, the first federal election after women secured the right to vote and seek elected office, Agnes McPhail was elected to the House of Commons - the first woman to do so - advocating for farmers and the agricultural sector. She championed the rights of miners, immigrants, prisoners, women, and other marginalized groups.
Thirty years ago, Kim Campbell became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party and Canada’s first Prime Minister. History was made.
About the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell
As Canada's first and only female Prime Minister, Kim Campbell's life has been a life of achievements. From the age of 16, when she became the first female student body president of her high school, until 30 years later, as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, Ms. Campbell has spent much of her life breaking barriers for women. She served at all three levels of government in Canada. After leaving politics she served as the Canadian Consul General in Los Angeles, then taught at the Harvard Kennedy School, after which she became an international leader of leaders with organizations such as the International Women's Forum and the Club de Madrid. Drawing on her extraordinary experience as an academic and a leader, she served as the Founding Principal of the Peter Lougheed Leadership College at the University of Alberta from 2014–2018.
