UOttawa prof among five saluted for work on women’s rights
Honours at annual Famous 5 event ‘Canada’s highest award to women’
A former federal health minister and a University of Ottawa law professor were recognized Thursday for their accomplishments in furthering women’s rights.
Monique Bégin, a minister of health under Pierre Trudeau, and Sheila McIntyre, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, were honoured at a Famous 5 Ottawa event at the Westin Ottawa hotel.
The event is named after the five Alberta women — Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Louise McKinney — who in 1927 petitioned Canada’s Supreme Court for a decision on whether women could be named to the Senate. They lost, but the decision was overturned by the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1929.
Every year, five women who have worked toward improving women’s rights are honoured by the volunteer group. Marie-Thérèse Chicha, Ruth Elwood Martin and Dee M. Dooley were also honoured Thursday.
“It’s important that women’s accomplishments be celebrated, and this is Canada’s highest award to women,” said Isabel Metcalfe, chair of Famous 5 Ottawa.
Metcalfe said the awards are especially important today because “more and more of us that are in politics are encouraging young women to be involved.”
Bégin said there’s a simple reason she was honoured: “It’s because I’m feminist!”
She said she has been a feminist for as long as she can remember, reading as many female leaders’ biographies as possible.
Bégin said Pierre Trudeau believed in equality, although he might have not been familiar back then with the word “feminist” in the same way it is used now.
“In today’s language, Trudeau was not a feminist, but he was a great, natural egalitarian,” Bégin said. “He could not stand heavy jokes or vulgarities or diminishing (anyone) or racism. He couldn’t stand that, so we didn’t have that. It didn’t exist, even in caucus, which is very special in the House of Commons.”
Of the new Prime Minister Trudeau, Bégin said she is a fan, particularly of his remarks on gender parity in his cabinet.
“I have known (Justin Trudeau) since he very was young,” she said. “I’m very, very proud and I thought it was simply wonderful when he answered the question outside of Rideau Hall, saying, ‘It’s 2015.’ I just loved that.”
Bégin also said she couldn’t be happier with the choice of federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, who is filling her shoes as the health minister for a new Trudeau.
University of Ottawa law professor Sheila McIntyre said all the proceedings of the day were remarkable, especially in the message they send.
“There’s something quite phenomenal about being recognized in the House of Commons,
We’re not extraordinary women. We’re ordinary women who did extraordinary things, and anybody could do that if they chose to.
in the Senate, and in the governor general’s home for work, that when we did it, we paid a high price,” McIntyre said.
“Now the government is saying, ‘We want to thank you for that work.’ That’s a phenomenal message to young women.”
McIntyre said the award was particularly special because it is in Ottawa, where she did so much of her work for women. “I had opportunities to do some incredible work here that I’m very proud of.”
McIntyre wanted to stress that even though she was receiving this unique honour, the kind of work she did is possible for all women, and important for them to do.
“We’re not extraordinary women. We’re ordinary women who did extraordinary things, and anybody could do that if they chose to.”