First Female Member of Parliament, Agnes Macphail, is Elected (1921)
With the success of the Women's Suffrage Movement, gaining women the right to vote in federal elections, the presence and influence of women in national politics was rapidly increasing. The next of women's victories in achieving greater political representation was the the election of the Parliament of Canada's first female M.P., Agnes MacPhail.
Agnes MacPhail's election to Parliament inspired and paved the way for many other ambitious women to also attempt to play more influential roles in politics. Throughout her multiple elections she was recognized for focusing on her interests in improving women's rights, workers rights, improving female prison conditions and improving senior pensions. Her time as a M.P was not only significant because of the value of her own political influence, but also, the value of her role as a model for women across Canada who aspired to be active and influential in Canadian politics. However, as the only woman member in a House of Commons consisting of hundreds of male members, it remained a clear fact that women still had a long way to progress before achieving full and equal representation in Parliament and Canadian politics.
Agnes MacPhail's election to Parliament inspired and paved the way for many other ambitious women to also attempt to play more influential roles in politics. Throughout her multiple elections she was recognized for focusing on her interests in improving women's rights, workers rights, improving female prison conditions and improving senior pensions. Her time as a M.P was not only significant because of the value of her own political influence, but also, the value of her role as a model for women across Canada who aspired to be active and influential in Canadian politics. However, as the only woman member in a House of Commons consisting of hundreds of male members, it remained a clear fact that women still had a long way to progress before achieving full and equal representation in Parliament and Canadian politics.
Interviewer: "Up to the present time, generally speaking, whenever a woman gets a nomination, she gets a nomination in a constituency where the chances of election are not too hopeful - "
MacPhail: "- some nominations the men don't want."
The above quote was taken from an interview with Agnes MacPhail from 1948, available in the CBC Digital Archives. In the interview she shares her insights unto the state of gender inequality in politics as well as the reasons for it. In this particular quote, when essentially asked if women were given an unfair disadvantage in Canadian politics, she replied by saying rather bluntly, "- some nominations the men don't want.". Here, she is addressing the existing patriarchy in politics, in which men are constantly given the advantage, making it harder for women to be given a chance to participate and have a substantial voice.