Royal Commission on the Status of Women facts for kids

The Royal Commission on the Status of Women was a special group in Canada. It looked at the lives of women across the country. Its main goal was to suggest ways the Canadian government could make sure women had the same chances as men. This included opportunities in all parts of society. The Commission started on February 16, 1967. It was an idea from Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

The group held public meetings to hear what people thought. They used these ideas to create their suggestions. Florence Bird was the leader, or chair, of this important Commission. Many women's groups in Canada had asked for this kind of study. This Commission was the first of its kind to be led by a woman. It wrote reports to the government about things like fair pay, child care, and education. In 1971, the government created the Status of Women office. This office helps share information about these issues with the public.

Why the Commission Was Created

In the mid-1960s, a strong leader named Laura Sabia brought together 32 women's groups in Canada. They started a big campaign. They wanted the government to act against unfair treatment of women in society. These groups formed the national Committee for the Equality of Women (CEW) in 1966. Laura Sabia was also the head of this committee. They asked the government to set up a formal "royal commission."

The CEW even made a promise. They said that "two million women would march on Parliament Hill" if their demands were not met. This showed how serious they were.

Government Responds to Public Pressure

In 1967, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson listened to the growing public demand. He created the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. The Commission's job was to "inquire into and report on the status of women in Canada." It also had to "make specific recommendations to the federal government to ensure equality for women in all aspects of society." This meant finding out how women were doing and suggesting ways to make things fair.

Who Were the Commissioners?

A group of special people called Commissioners led the work of the Royal Commission. They came from different backgrounds and brought many skills.

Florence Bird: The Chair

Florence Bird, a journalist and broadcaster from Ottawa, was chosen to lead the Commission. This was a big step. It was the first time a Royal Commission was led by a woman. As the chair, Florence Bird received thousands of letters. These letters came from public hearings and were about women's rights. Many people wrote about how men and women were seen as equal. But in reality, they were not treated equally in many ways. A main issue Florence Bird focused on was unequal pay. Women often earned much less than men for doing the same job.

Elsie MacGill: Engineer and Advocate

Elsie MacGill (1905 – 1980) was an amazing woman. She was the first female aeronautical engineer. This means she designed and built airplanes. During World War II, she was a chief engineer. She helped make many Hawker Hurricane fighter planes. People even called her "Queen of the Hurricanes." Elsie MacGill cared deeply about women's rights. Her mother was one of Canada's first female judges. Her grandmother had fought for women's right to vote. Before joining the Commission, Elsie MacGill led a national business women's club. She spoke out against unfair treatment of women in engineering. Because of her work experience, she strongly supported women in the workforce. She also pushed for women to get paid time off for maternity leave after having a baby.

Other Important Commissioners

• Lola M. Lange was from Claresholm, Alberta. She had experience in farming and helping her community.
• Jeanne Lapointe was a literature professor. She had worked on another Royal Commission about education in Quebec.
• Doris Ogilvie was a judge who worked with young people. She later led a Canadian commission for the International Year of the Child.
• Jacques Henripin was a professor who studied population changes. He helped the field of study in Canada.
• John Peters Humphrey was a law professor. He helped write the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the 1940s.

What the Commission Found

The Commission looked closely at many issues. Azilda Lapierre Marchand prepared a report. It was for the Women's Association for Education and Social Action. Her report talked about how women's unpaid work was often ignored. This included work as homemakers and in family businesses. She argued that society did not value this work enough.

The Commission found some important facts:

• In 1970, only about 4 out of every 100 managers were women.
• Most provinces had laws for equal pay. But women still earned less than men for the same work.
• Two-thirds of people receiving welfare help were women.

Key Recommendations for Change

In 1970, the Commission released a report. It had 167 recommendations. These were ideas to make sure men and women had equal chances. Some of the main recommendations were:

• Employers should not be allowed to treat people unfairly based on their "gender" or "marital status."
• Government training programs should be more open to women.
• The government should appoint more women judges to courts.
• More qualified women should be appointed to the Senate. This would help balance the number of men and women there.
• Working women should get 18 weeks of unemployment benefits for maternity leave.
• Improvements were needed for pensions, day care, and education for women.

The work of the Commission was very important. It helped create a plan for women's rights groups in the 1970s. It set the stage for many changes to make Canada a fairer place for everyone.

See also

• Women's rights in Canada
• Department for Women and Gender Equality