50 Years of the Status of Women Report: Looking Back to Move Forward

In 1967, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women was mandated “to inquire into and report upon the status of women in Canada, and to recommend what steps might be taken by the Federal Government to ensure for women equal opportunities with men in all aspects of Canadian society.” Following consultations with women from coast-to-coast-to-coast, the release of the report in 1970 marked a milestone in the Canadian feminist movement.

This intergenerational event presented by CanWaCH and the Department of Women and Gender Equality Canada (WaGE) took stock of the past 50 years, celebrating the progress of trailblazers and changemakers while acknowledging the challenges faced, and looked to the future to collectively imagine what it will take to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women in the next 50 years.

The Past 50 Years: Trailblazing women who overcame roadblocks, influenced policy and fought for the empowerment of all women 

Julia Anderson, CanWaCH’s Chief Executive Officer and Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance highlight trailblazing Canadian women from the past five decades and the work they did to advance gender equality throughout the nation.

The Next 50 Years: A youth perspective on current challenges and action for the next five decades

Maryam Monsef, Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality, talks to youth leaders Ishita Aggarwal, Mukisa Kakembo, Fae Johnstone and Erika Dupis about gender equality progress made over the last fifty years, key challenges in Canada today and what needs to be done in order to accelerate the movement for gender equality.

Icon