Intro

October is Women's History Month in Canada. Proclaimed in 1992 by the Government of Canada, Women's History Month provides an opportunity for Canadians to learn about the important contributions of women and girls to our society – and to the quality of our lives today.

Women's History Month 2011 recognizes women's invaluable contributions to the military in Canada over the years.

Whether as serving members of the armed forces or as civilians providing support roles, women have worked on every front -- on the battlefield, in the air and on the sea; as pilots and peacekeepers; nurses and physicians; war artists and war correspondents; in espionage and engineering.  Regardless of the challenges and the risks, women have stepped up to answer the call and Canada's military history is rich with their stories.

During Women's History Month, we honour Canadian women, past and present, who have done incredible work within and outside the Canadian Forces, taking on great challenges and opening doors so that others may follow. 

Click here for past themes.

Poster

To assist you in organizing a Women's History Month activity, or simply to raise awareness of this year's theme, Status of Women Canada has prepared the following products:

2011 Poster

TOP 20 FACTS – WOMEN IN CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY

Click here to download the Top 20 Facts in PDF format (226 KB) *.

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1. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women were behind-the-scenes in French and English military actions in Canada. They provided key support, protecting property from marauders, and preparing ammunition, food and medicines during times of conflict.
   
   
2. If not for Laura Secord, Canada might be part of the United States today. In 1813, Secord made a brave journey on foot during the War of 1812. She saved Canada by warning the British of an American attack.
   
   
3. Nurses were the first women in the Canadian military. Twelve women served in the Northwest Rebellion in 1885 as nurses in military hospitals.
   
   
4. News must get out, especially in times of conflict. In 1898, Canadian journalist Catherine Ferguson (known by her nom de plume Kit Coleman) became the world's first woman war correspondent, covering the Spanish-American War.
   
   
5. Until well into the 20th century, women were mostly left out of military service. But they were ready to serve, organizing for the home defence of Canada from invasion during both World Wars. In 1941, women's branches of military services were created as auxiliaries to the air force and the army. Many new recruits came from among the approximately 5,000 skilled home-defence members across Canada.
   
   
6. It took war to open doors for women in the military. In both World Wars, the growing wartime bureaucracy meant women became officially recognized members of the armed forces in areas beyond nursing. By the Second World War, the military had trained servicewomen in all three branches.
   
   
7. During First World War, more than 2,800 women served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps.
   
   
8. Death is a harsh reality of war and does not discriminate against gender. During First World War, 39 Canadian women military staff died in service.
   
   
9. Wartime military nurses were the first Canadian women to vote in a federal election. In 1917, some 2,000 military nurses were given the vote – a right they exercised in the federal election held that year.
   
   
10. Even in times of crisis, love is in the air! In January 1940, the first wartime marriage of the Second World War took place in England between a British woman and a Canadian serviceman. By the War's end, some 48,000 such marriages followed and Canada gained a generation of "war brides."
    
    
11. There was a woman behind a big warplane, the Hawker Hurricane! In the Second World War, Canadian engineer Elizabeth “Elsie” Gregory MacGill (1905-1980) oversaw the production of Hawker Hurricane fighter planes, used in the Battle of Britain. As a result, Elsie earned the nickname "Queen of the Hurricanes."
    
    
12. During the Second World War, 72 Aboriginal women from Canada served overseas.
    
    
13. Women served with courage in both World Wars. But in 1946, after the Second World War ended, the women's sections of all three Canadian armed service branches were disbanded. Luckily, officials had second thoughts. In 1951, all three services of the Canadian military begin to recruit women into the reserves. By 1955, more than 5,000 women were serving in the Canadian military.
    
    
14. In 1955, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy began to recruit women for regular services, not only the reserves.
    
    
15. In 1965, the Government of Canada decided to continue to employ women in the Canadian Armed Forces, but it established a ceiling of 1,500 women members across all three services.
    
    
16. In 1979, the Canadian military colleges opened their doors to women and the first group of female students enrolled in the college the following year.
    
    
17. Major Wendy Clay paved the way on August 19, 1974, when she qualified for her pilot's wings – alas, before the pilot trade was open to all women. On February 13th, 1981, Canadian Air Force Captains Nora Bottomley, Dee Brasseur and Leah Mosher followed Major Clay's lead, graduating as the first Canadian women military pilots.
    
    
18. In 1981, Second-Lieutenant Inge Plug became the first woman helicopter pilot in the Canadian Forces and Lieutenant Karen McCrimmon became the Canadian Forces' first woman air navigator.
    
    
19. In 1987, the Air Force announced that all areas of Air Force employment, including fighter pilot, were open to women.
    
    
20. Today, women can enroll in all occupations of the Canadian Forces, including combat arms, and they can serve in any environment.

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* In order to open, view, navigate and print PDF files, it is necessary to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your system. If you do not have this software, it is downloadable free of charge. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader, and follow the instructions to install it.

PROFILES OF OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY

Click here to download all of the biographies in 1 PDF file (554 KB) *.

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Celebrate

Ways to celebrate Women's History Month:

1. Get involved by taking a course or joining a club that celebrates some aspects of the history of women in the military.
2. Learn more about the history of women in the military by reading a book, watching a documentary, movie, film or television program about a notable woman in Canadian military history.
3. Tell others about the significance of women in the military by telling an interesting story, or by writing an article or a blog spot on the contributions and experiences of an outstanding woman.
4. Interview local pioneering women who have made a significant difference in the military. You can build an oral history by recording your interview on audio or video.
5. Participate in Women's History Month events and activities in your area and interact with your local community, work or school on the importance of women in the military.
6. Support women's involvement and contributions in the military by honouring and commemorating a woman who has helped make history.
7. Demonstrate your awareness of women's issues by engaging in conversations and letting others know what they can do to make a difference.
8. Encourage young people to get involved in recognizing military women by developing a lesson, creating an exhibit, completing a project, staging in a play, or listening to a guest speaker talk about some of the outstanding contributions of women in Canadian military history.
9. Discover your roots by investigating your family history and learning about the interesting military women in your family tree. 
10. Visit a historical place associated with an interesting woman in the Canadian military.
11. If you are in a book club, suggest that your group read a book by or about women in Canada's military.