Gaining equal rights and equal opportunities has been a long struggle for Canadian women. The lives and careers of women such as Nellie McClung, Sandra Lovelace, Kim Campbell, Gabrielle Roy, Portia White, and Carrie Derick are both educational and inspirational for us as we try to understand the role of women in Canadian society today. All these women faced special challenges on account of their sex; some such as Sandra Lovelace and Portia White had to surmount additional obstacles because of their race. Although separated by time and space, they were all very determined women who persisted in achieving their goals.

It is very interesting to note that four of the six spent a part of their careers as school teachers. In part the choice of a teaching career reflects the limited range of opportunities educated women have had in seeking paid work. But perhaps the opportunities for leadership in the classroom as well as opportunities for further learning developed some of the skills and ideas these women needed to achieve other more unusual ambitions.

From crusading suffragist Nellie McClung to our first woman prime minister Kim Campbell, these women all opened new doors for Canadian women, often pioneering in many different roles over the course of their lives.