News

Statement from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff on Persons Day

Eighty years ago – on October 18, 1929 – history was made in Canada in the fight for women’s rights. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England, then the appeals court for the Supreme Court of Canada, ruled that women were legally “persons.”
 
Although this followed a series of victories for Canadian women, including achieving the right to vote and the right to hold public office, it was the landmark victory of the “Persons Case” that paved the way for future advances in women’s rights, and allowed the first Canadian woman to be appointed to the Senate, Cairine Wilson, by former Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
 
Today we reflect on the achievements of The Famous Five – those five brave women who fought tirelessly to be recognized as equals in Canadian society. Nellie McClung – who became a Liberal member of the Alberta Legislature – Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby are not only icons of this historic legal victory – they have stood as a testament to the strength and bravery that has inspired Canadians for generations.
 
The Liberal Party of today is proud of its strong female representation and we are well on our way to meeting our target of having one-third female candidates in the next general election.
 
On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and our Parliamentary caucus, I wish to honour and support all those women who continue the legacy of The Famous Five in the struggle for equality, both here at home and around the world.