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Canadians recently lost three monumental women's equality
and human rights champions. Whether through avant-garde rulings from the court
bench, the founding of women's shelters and hospices, political lobbying for
women's representation or in the establishment of women's perspectives in
mainstream media, Bertha Wilson, Doris Anderson and June Callwood represent an
era of brazen, witty, and tireless advocates for women's rights. These three
Canadian women were trailblazers and heroes who each led exemplary lives well
into their eighties. Their legacies will continue to be an inspiration for
generations to come.
Doris Anderson (1921-2007)
She was a journalist, an author, and a vocal women's
rights advocate who cultivated public spaces for women's equality discourse
during the 1960s and beyond.
As editor of Chatelaine
(1957-1977), Doris Anderson created a women's magazine that tackled a range of
crucial equality issues often considered controversial including reproductive
rights, divorces laws, the wage gap between men and women, and women's
representation in politics. Her provocative writings invoked massive increase
in the magazine's readership. Upon retiring from her editorship, she remained a
columnist for the Toronto Star for over a decade.
In addition to her autobiography, Rebel Daughter
(1996), Anderson
authored several novels and an overview of women's rights titled Unfinished
Revolution: Status of Women in Twelve Countries (1991).
Anderson's advocacy extended beyond her pen and into the
political arena. She was instrumental in lobbying for ensuring gender equality
was protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms through
Section 28 which guarantees male and female persons equal entitlement to
rights. Regarding the Charter, she once observed: "It was clear
that the charter of rights [sic] could do good things for women or, if it was a bad
charter, it could be a terrible problem for women for generations to
come."
She subsequently became president of the National Action
Committee on the Status of Women (1982-1984). Throughout her lifetime, Anderson remained
committed to increasing women's participation in politics. She was very active
in Equal Voice, an organization calling for increased representation of women
in politics through electoral reform. Anderson
was Chair of the Ontario Press Council in 1998 and is a member of the Order of Canada
In Doris's own words "If there is no future for feminism, then there is
no future for the world."
June Callwood (1924-2007)
June Callwood's tireless advocacy and passionate
commitment to social justice was steadfast throughout her prolific life. As the
author of over 30 books, including Canadian Women and the Law (1974)
and The Law Is Not for Women (1976) and journalist for major Canadian
media outlets, such the Globe and Mail,
Chatelaine, CBC Television, and
Vision TV, Callwood was instrumental in bringing women's issues into the
mainstream and providing momentum to the Canadian women's movement.
Inasmuch as she was a renowned journalist, Callwood
maintained an extraordinarily active role in supporting her community. Her
dedication to social justice was demonstrated in her support for women, gay men
and lesbians, and at-risk youth. For her stalwart activism, observers named her
"Canada's
Conscience", "Canada's
Mother Theresa", and "Saint June". She was the founder of numerous
organizations, including Digger House (the first hostel for street youth in Canada), Jessie's Centre for Teenage Mothers,
Nellie's Hostel for abused women, the AIDS hospice Casey House, the Writer's
Union of Canada, the Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation, PEN Canada and
Feminists against Censorship. In 2004, the City of Toronto named a street "June Callwood Way"
in her honour. Callwood is also a member of the Order of Canada.
In June's own words: "If
any of you happen to see an injustice, you are no longer a spectator, you are a
participant. And you have an obligation to do something."
Bertha Wilson
(1923-2007)
Bertha Wilson's
contributions to enabling women's perspectives in Canadian courtrooms are
unrivaled. Even though she was discouraged from applying to law school, instead
of staying at home, Wilson
became the first woman to embark on many paths in Canadian law. She was the
first woman appointed a partner in a major Canadian law firm. Between 1959 and
1975, Bertha Wilson worked at the corporate law firm of Osler, Hoskin &
Harcourt, becoming a partner and the Head of Research. Wilson subsequently
became the first woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1975 and
then the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1982, only
days before the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enacted.
Throughout her legal career Wilson proved her excellence as a thorough
researcher and poignant writer with an unwavering dedication to justice and
human rights. Wilson
developed eloquent and intelligent legal analysis that challenged gender bias
in the legal system and laws that discriminate against women. It has been
argued that it was in large part Wilson's
tremendously influential rulings and analysis of the Charter that gave the legislation the "teeth" that makes it an international
model for human rights enforcement.
Bertha
Wilson provided
rulings on highly significant cases that directly affected the everyday lives
of women and minorities, including rulings on reproductive freedoms, domestic
violence, and refugee rights. After retiring from the Supreme Court bench in
1991, Wilson was appointed to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People,
appointed Chair of the Canadian Bar Association's Task Force on Women, and was
appointed as a Companion of the Order of Canada. Upon her retirement, Wilson called for
increased legal courses and training to educate judges on gender issues and
challenging gender-based myths perpetuated in the legal system.
In Bertha's own words: "The guarantees of the Charter would be illusory if
they could be ignored because it was administratively inconvenient."
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