Background

The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC), founded in October, 1893, represented over 200 womens’ organizations.  Its Constitution legalized a federation of women from diverse political, social and religious arenas whose close association with one another united them to pursue common goals.  At its Annual General Meeting held in Ottawa in 1894, the Council highlighted the poor conditions and wages of female factory workers, the need for a trained corps of nurses to assist families with the provision of medical treatment and midwifery, and the exigencies of the domestic servant who “of all the industries, were the most neglected, degraded and shunned”. 

The National Council of Women of Canada’s membership rapidly expanded, creating provincial and local councils of women from coast to coast.  Each collective sought the betterment of women through grassroots consultation and organized debate.  The Council’s many successes include ‘The Person’s Case’ which recognized that women were in law “persons”, the federal government’s agreement to reinstate the status of aboriginal women married to non-status Indians, the rights of divorced women and changes to the Criminal Code to ensure the protection of the sex trade workers.

The National Council of Women will continue to focus on the equality of women.

For more information on the history and current undertakings of the NCWC please visit their web site at www.ncwc.ca