International Women’s Day: Honouring The History
Mar 9 • Written by Zaira Shareef and Rianna Kalra
March 8th marks International Women’s Day throughout the world annually. This day is dedicated to celebrate Women and their journeys, alongside the various challenges that Women have faced in the past, and challenges they continue to face today. Surely, we live in a society within which steps are taken to work towards the idea of gender equality, but it would be incorrect to dismiss issues of biases, stereotypes and discrimination that still exist within the lives of various individuals, including the lives of Women today. Within this blog post, we hope to highlight key events in history which have contributed to bettering the lives of Women within our societies today. We speak about The Famous Five and Marie Curie, shedding light on a bit of history pertaining to the topic, the lives of women around that time period, the lives of women today, and the overall effect these key individuals have had on modern society.
The Famous Five
A Little Bit of History
In 1928, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that women were not to be considered “people” and therefore could not hold senate-related jobs. In 1929, this ruling was overturned; impacting the lives of the majority of women back then. One of which is voting rights and although 1929 marked the end of the roaring ‘20s, it also marked a significant event that changed Canada’s governmental institutions. The question, though, is how the ruling made in 1928 got overturned. Better yet, who were the ones that were responsible for making an impact that changed Canada’s law and future? We can thank The Famous Five for giving us the luxuries women back then would have dreamed of.
Typical Life For Women
Before The Famous Five came to prominence, life for women in the 1900s and even before then was nothing compared to the lives we have. Most women were housewives and a few of their responsibilities were taking care of the children and doing most of the household chores such as cooking, cleaning and laundry. Because of the responsibilities of the house and family, most women did not work and solely relied on their husbands when it came to financial decisions and although job opportunities opened up because of WWI, most women were restricted to jobs that were “proper” and “fit” the societal norm such as a teacher or nurse.
Who Were The Famous Five
The Famous Five were a group of five women who made history by changing the laws to allow women the right to vote and for women to be considered “people''. These five women were Henrietta Muir Edwards, Neille McClung, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby and Emily Murphy. All five of these women were influential activists during their period. Emily Murphy was considered to be Canada’s first female lawyer. Irene Parlby was the first female cabinet minister in Alberta. Louise McKinney was an activist for women and children and became the first to implement the Dower’s Act – an act that prevented the sale or mortgage of their homes without their knowledge. Neille McClung advocated for women’s right to vote in Manitoba and became the first female director of CBC. Henrietta Muir Edwards founded the National Council of Women of Canada – an organization that strives to improve the quality of life for women.
What Did They Do?
When the decision was made by the Supreme Court of Canada, it was a result of female activists advocating for Emily Murphy to be appointed to the Senate. The government responded that there were no provisions for women and so, the 1928 Persons Act was enforced. This resulted in an uproar among women at that time and rather than accepting that act being enforced, the Famous Five got together and advocated for the overturning of the Persons Act through the means of a petition sent out to the government at that time. Although their efforts did take a while, in 1929, the Judicial Committee of The Privy Council – which at that time had higher order over the Supreme Court of Canada – overturned the Persons Act.
21st Century
Today, when elections happen, women are given the right to vote for a party and are allowed to hold government-related positions and senate positions. A woman’s life today is much different than what it used to be back then. A lot of the things we have would have been major opportunities and luxuries for women back then. Simple things such as driving a car, having a job, getting an education and having the choice to choose between a married life or not are just a few of the things that couldn’t have been thought of back then. It is because of the famous five that we can speak on current issues happening in the world without education.
Betterment
The 21st Century still faces many societal issues, but as a new generation of women who focus on equality and freedom of speech steps in, it is without a doubt that the 21st Century may become a turning point for humanity. With the usage of social media and connections, it is without a doubt that every day becomes a better day and with the uprise in technology that is being used to combat societal and ethical issues, it can be said for sure that humanity is one step closer to become better each day and that future generations of women will grow up learning the impactful history these women have made.
Marie Curie: The Pioneer of Science
Background/Qualifications
Marie Curie was born on November 7, 1987, in Warsaw, Poland. She did the regular and general education, but her interest in science was what made her so special. So after secondary education, Curie went to Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne where she obtained Licenciateships in Physics and the Mathematical Sciences. She then gained her Doctor of Science degree in 1903, and was the Professor of General Physics in the Faculty of Sciences at Sorbonne, the first time a woman had held this position. She was also appointed Director of the Curie Laboratory in the Radium Institute of the University of Paris, founded in 1914.
Key Discovery and How It All Started
When Curie was studying and researching at the University of Paris, a new phenomenon which had recently been discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel, was that uranium salts emitted radiation, which immediately sparked Marie's interest.
Marie noticed that a mineral called pitchblende, containing uranium ore, was much more radioactive than pure uranium. This led her to believe she had found a new element, despite doubts from other scientists. Further investigation with her husband Pierre revealed that pitchblende contained another highly radioactive element, even more so than the previously discovered polonium. In 1898, they provided strong evidence for this new element, named radium, but had no samples. Due to the high cost of pitchblende, Marie purchased tons of the cheaper, highly radioactive waste material from a factory in Austria.
Marie then worked hard to extract the tiny amounts of radium from this material, despite the physical demands and dangers involved. Eventually, in 1902, she successfully isolated radium as radium chloride, concluding a long and challenging journey.
Achievements
Her determination and remarkable endeavors led to a second Nobel Prize in 1911, this time in chemistry for creating a means of measuring radioactivity. Not long after, Sorbonne built the first radium institute with two laboratories; one for study of radioactivity under Marie Curie's direction, and the other for biological research into the treatment of cancer. Additionally, during World War I, Marie Curie helped create portable X-ray machines for diagnosing injuries close to the battlefield.
Advancements in the Modern-Day
Marie Curie's contributions continue to benefit society today through her advancements in medicine, industry, and scientific research, especially in the fields of radioactivity and nuclear physics. Her pioneering work laid the foundation for modern radiation therapy which we use for cancer and tumor treatments till date, and diagnostic imaging technologies such as X-rays. Not to mention, Marie Curie's remarkable achievements serve as a source of inspiration for all women in the STEM fields worldwide. As the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields, she has shattered all the gender barriers and inspired countless women to pursue careers in science, paving the way for our future generations of female scientists and researchers.
Overall, modern society today, specifically the lifestyle of Women today, is resultant of key historic events and individuals. This International Women’s Day, we look back to and honour the efforts of all individuals involved in helping build the lives we as Women are living today. Peel GEMs wishes our entire community a Happy International Women’s Day, and hope that you take the time to honour the influential Women within your lives.
