Women Are Persons! Monument

Women Are Persons Monument WWP

Photo credit - Wikimedia

‘Women Are Persons!’ is a monument dedicated to the ‘famous five’ – Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, and Nellie McClung, who fought to change the legal term of ‘persons’ in Canada, which until October 18th, 1929 didn’t consider women as such. Because of that definition, women couldn’t be appointed to the Senate.

The monument, created by Barbara Paterson in 2000, is the first one on Parliament Hill to memorialize Canadian women. The statues depict the women in their moment of victory, having a pink tea party, wearing plain dresses and standing on the ground and not pedestals, emphasizing that those were ordinary women that had the strength to change the world. The empty chair invites you to interact with them as well as to inspire you to take a stand on your own beliefs.

A replica of this statue was dedicated a year before, on October 18th, 1999, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Another statue of the ‘famous five’ by Helen Granger Young stands at the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, Canada.
 

Did You Know? - The Famous Five and the Persons Case

They've been called visionaries, feminists, trailblazers and Canadian heroes- Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby and Nellie McClung changed the Canadian political landscape forever. They fought to be recognized as persons under the law. On October 18th, 1929, after an arduous legal and political battle the British Privy Council recognized women as persons under the BNA Act.

Share:

This post is also available in:
Español

Official Website



Watch and Learn More

 

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can write about more landmarks of pioneer women.
 
Donate

We hope you enjoyed this article.
Please support us so we can write about more landmarks of pioneer women.
 
Donate

Address

Near the East Block on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Canada



Did You Know? - The Famous Five and the Persons Case

They've been called visionaries, feminists, trailblazers and Canadian heroes- Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby and Nellie McClung changed the Canadian political landscape forever. They fought to be recognized as persons under the law. On October 18th, 1929, after an arduous legal and political battle the British Privy Council recognized women as persons under the BNA Act.
Share:

This post is also available in: Español

Tags: 19th Amendment Centennial Anniversary and Places in Canada

Hidden

Next Steps: Sync an Email Add-On

To get the most out of your form, we suggest that you sync this form with an email add-on. To learn more about your email add-on options, visit the following page (https://www.gravityforms.com/the-8-best-email-plugins-for-wordpress-in-2020/). Important: Delete this tip before you publish the form.
Check out this fun, inspiring, and challenging activity about extraordinary women.
You'll also be subscribing to our monthly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.

Shop & Support


Donate & Support
 
Our feminist project of wanderlust and equality-aspired community maps the HerStories of worldwide wonder women.
Explore the website for excellent guided tours, travel tips, unique landmarks, fun girlfriend getaways, events, and in-depth articles about gender, equality, space, and (not-told-enough) female legacy.

About the Project

 

Subscribe to
our Newsletter

A Glimpse of Beauty Lucy Maud Montgomery Statue WWP
Memorial & Statue

A Glimpse of Beauty, Lucy Maud Montgomery Statue

Prince Edward Island, Canada

A life-size bronze statue of the famous Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, resides in the heart of a park in her honor in her hometown on Prince Eduard Island. Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) arrived in Cavendish as a toddler to live with her grandparents after her mother passed away. As a child living with the elderly, she spent many hours reading, writing and creating imaginary friends. When she was 16 years old, she published her first poem in the local newspaper, and by 23, she started publishing short stories in newspapers and magazines, reaching more than 100 publications in a decade. At 18, she attended Prince of Wales College for her teaching license, then Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to study literature, and worked as a teacher between both. At 24, she returned to Cavendish to support her widowed grandmother and work on her first novel Anne of Green Gables. Published in June 1908, the book was an instant best-seller, translated to over 36 languages, and adapted into dozens of movies, TV series, films, radio, stage, and web production, establishing Montgomery as a novelist and putting Prince Eduard Island on the world map. At 37, she married a Presbyterian minister and left Prince Eduard Island for Ontario. While raising her family, she continued writing and publishing. Overall, she published 20 novels, 500 poems, 530 short stories, and 30 essays during her lifetime. At 67, she passed away. Her final resting place is in the Cavendish Cemetery on Prince Edward Island (directly across the park). In 2019 the Cavendish Heritage Park was renamed Montgomery Park to commemorate Montgomery and celebrate the Founding Families of Cavendish and the Avonlea Women’s Institute. The Prince Eduard Island artist Grace Curtis designed the statue in 2019; it was sculptured and cast by British Columbia artist Nathan Scott. The statue, called A Glimpse of Beauty, depicts Montgomery in her late 20s when she lived in Cavendish and wrote Anne of Green Gables. It captures her in a moment of inspiration, or as she called this creative moment- “the Flash.” “Inspired by the beauty of nature, she lifts her head heavenward to take a deep breath, to take it all in; in part, a moment of joy, and in part, an acknowledgment of the gift of creativity she has been given” – Grace Curtis. The statue was unveiled on August 28th, 2019, by Montgomery’s granddaughter and in the presence of Princess Takamado of Japan. The park is the recommended first stop of The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery Literary Tour, which leads visitors to other L.M. Montgomery experiences, including Green Gables House and the new Green Gables Visitor Centre. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Alice-Paul-Institute-WWP
Museum

Alice Paul Institute

Mount Laurel, NJ, USA

Located at the birthplace of Alice Paul, a suffragist leader, and gender rights activist. The house is a museum and leadership center for women and girls promoting “Ordinary Equality”, a term that Paul determined. Paul lived in this house, known as Paulsdale, from the day she was born till she left for college at the age of 16 in 1901. The house was purchased in 1990 and was renovated by Alice Paul Institute, which was founded in 1984 to preserve Paul’s ideas and legacy. It can be toured individually as well as in guided tours (on specific days). The first floor is the museum area, where the exhibition “Alice Paul: In Pursuit of Ordinary Equality” is presented, showcasing Paul’s life story by family photographs, personal objects, and memorabilia. The third floor houses the Alice Paul Archives and Women’s History Library. Occasional special events are held every season as well as the annual celebration of Alice Paul’s birthday on January 11, which since January 2020, is recognized as “Alice Paul Day” in New Jersey state. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Amelia Earhart Statue at Harbour Grace Canada WWP
Memorial & Statue

Amelia Earhart Statue at Harbour Grace, Canada

Harbour Grace, Canada

On the morning of May 20th, 1932, the pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart departed from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, Canada, flying her single-engine Lockheed Vega 5B aircraft, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the second person to achieve this milestone. After 14 hours, 56 minutes of flying in terrible weather and mechanical problems, Earhart landed in Culmore, north of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This accomplishment brought her worldwide fame and publicity and challenged her to break more records. Amelia Earhart (1897-1939) was an American aviator. Although she was not the first female pilot in the US, she completed many firsts as an aviator and as a woman, and she is still considered one of the most famous aviators of all time. In 1937, while completing a flight around the globe, planning to become the first woman to do so, she and her navigator disappeared. An extensive and expensive search did not find any trace of them, and two years later, they were declared dead. In 2007, seventy-five years after Earhart left for her flight, a statue was unveiled in the Spirit of Harbour Grace Park, commemorating her achievement and legacy as a pioneer aviator and fearless woman. Lorne Rostotski designed the site, Roger Pike funded the statue, and the Canadian sculptor Luben Boykov created it. The original Lockheed Vega 5B aircraft is on view at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
Anne Frank Statue in Edmonton Canada WWP
Memorial & Statue

Anne Frank Statue in Edmonton, Canada

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

On August 8th, 2021, the Dutch Canadian Club Edmonton dedicated the statue of Anne Frank. It is a replica of the 1960 sculpture by Dutch sculptor Pieter d’Hont which was the first statue of Anne Frank ever created. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Dutch representatives, veterans, public officials, and Jewish community members. It was live-streamed to the Netherlands, where a bell tolled for 2 minutes at the same time as Edmonton. Tulips and other flowers from the Netherlands surround the sculpture, and next to it are two informative plaques. The statue pays tribute to the Holocaust victims and Canada’s role in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi tyranny in 1945. Edmonton’s Light Horse Park is named after the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment, which fought during World War I and II. The park went through a makeover in 2011, intending to create a place for those who have been affected by war or conflict. Anne Frank (1929-1945) was a teenage girl when her family went into hiding following the Nazis’ invasion of the Netherlands. During that time, she documented her life in a notebook she got on her 13th birthday. In August 1944, the German police discovered them, sending them all to Auschwitz. Anne and her sister Martha died in a concentration camp only a few weeks before the war ended. Her father, Otto, was the only family member to survive. After the war, he returned to Amsterdam and received many papers a friend was able to save for him. Among them was Anne’s diary. In 1947, The Diary of a Young Girl was published and became one of the most famous depositions of life under the Nazi regime. Click here to see all the statues of Anne Frank in the world. Share:This post is also available in: Español Read more...
View all

 

*Disclaimer: Please be aware that the information on this page is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. Learn more here.