Canadians are celebrating the first-ever Gender Equality Week and in Calgary, councillors marked the occasion with a celebration of the swearing in of Canada’s first female councillor Annie Gale.
Bill C-309, the Gender Equality Week Act, received Royal Assent on June 21, 2018 and the fourth week in September has now been designated Gender Equality Week.
The goal is to give people the opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made towards gender equality and to remind Canadians that more work still needs to be done.
On Monday morning, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi formally proclaimed the week of September 23 – 29 Gender Equality Week and council acknowledged the work of pioneering female politician Annie Gale.
In 1917, councillors were called alderman and Gayle came in sixth of the twelve alderman elected that year to become the first female to serve in the role in Canada. She was also the first female in the country to serve as acting mayor before she left council in 1923.
Council made a special presentation to Sheila Yeomans, Gale’s granddaughter, who says she is certainly worthy of the recognition.
“Suffice to say, she was a trailblazer for women and for looking after people of diverse cultures and wanting everyone to get the best from Calgary,” she said. “I didn’t realize that my grandmother meant so much so It’s opened up a total new world for me because I’m getting to know my grandmother as a woman and what women can do if they want and have the backbone and the stamina and the passion to make it better for everyone.”
A display has been set up in the centre of City Hall to recognize Gale’s contributions and to highlight the changing roles of women through the First and Second World Wars.
On Wednesday, the city is hosting a panel discussion as well as a resource fair that will focus on the advancement of gender issues in Calgary.
For more information on Gender Equality Week in Canada, click HERE.
