Championing Women in Canada: 4 Ways Elsie MacGill Moved the Dial
- Aug 03, 2023
- History
- 4 minute read
Elizabeth “Elsie” MacGill may be best known for her trailblazing aeronautical engineering career, but she was also a passionate feminist who created real, tangible change in Canada. Born into a family of women’s rights advocates, her barrier-breaking future was practically written in the stars.
Elsie went on to secure her family’s feminist legacy with her role as a commissioner for the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, a group mandated to ensure equality for women in all aspects of society. The groundbreaking report, published in 1970, was based on the principle that “equality between men and women in Canada was possible, desirable, and ethically necessary.”
Photo: Elsie Muriel Gregory MacGill, chief engineer at Canadian Car and Foundry Co. Ltd.
Credit: Ingenium 16035
Elizabeth “Elsie” MacGill may be best known for her trailblazing aeronautical engineering career, but she was also a passionate feminist who created real, tangible change in Canada. Born into a family of women’s rights advocates, her barrier-breaking future was practically written in the stars.
Elsie went on to secure her family’s feminist legacy with her role as a commissioner for the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, a group mandated to ensure equality for women in all aspects of society. The groundbreaking report, published in 1970, was based on the principle that “equality between men and women in Canada was possible, desirable, and ethically necessary.”
The way we live now is, in many ways, thanks to Elsie and her fellow commissioners paving the path forward. Read on to discover four ways the Commission furthered women’s rights, and fundamentally changed life in Canada for all.
1. Women at Work
Many of the Commission’s recommendations helped break down barriers faced by women looking to enter the workforce. Importantly, they advocated for the elimination of any workplace discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status. They also recommended that sex-typing of occupations be avoided, and that special steps be taken to increase the number of women in occupations and professions “not traditionally female.”
According to Statistics Canada, the labour force participation rate for women grew steadily from 1953 (24%) to 1990 (76%). Today, the Canadian workplace is more inclusive and welcoming towards women than ever before. In 2021, 68% of women in Canada aged 20 to 54 worked full time—up from 65% in 2007, and 55% in 1997.
2. Pay Equity
It’s hard to believe, but equal pay hasn’t always been a guaranteed right in Canada. It wasn’t until 1972 that we ratified the United Nation’s "Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value" convention—two years after the publication of the Commission’s report.
Among other recommendations regarding women in the Canadian economy, the Commission recommended that the Female Employees Equal Pay Act be amended to apply to all employees of the Government of Canada, that minimum wages for women and men be the same, and that different provisions on the basis of sex be eliminated from superannuation and insurance plans.
Today, rules regarding pay equity are pretty clear-cut: according to the Government of Canada, “Canadians have the right to experience workplace compensation practices that are free from gender-based discrimination. Pay equity aims to ensure that employers provide you with equal pay for doing work of equal value.”
3. Maternity Leave
Today, women in Canada don’t have to choose between having children or having a career. Thanks to the support systems in place, it’s possible to have both. But over 50 years ago, that path wasn’t so easy to pursue.
In 1970, Elsie and her fellow commissioners advocated for “an employed woman’s entitlement to 18 weeks maternity leave […] and prohibition of dismissal of an employee on any grounds during the maternity leave to which she is entitled.” Further, they recommended “that women contributors will be entitled to unemployment benefits for a period of 18 weeks or for the period to which their contributions entitle them […] when they stop paid work temporarily for maternity reasons.”
In 1971, paid maternity leave benefits were introduced in Canada, giving new moms 15 weeks off from work. Today, that 15 weeks of maternity leave can be followed by extended parental benefits—providing coverage for up to 61 weeks for one parent.
4. Equal Partnership
Before the publication of the Commission’s report, many Canadian laws and policies held the husband as “the head of the family,” and he was therefore granted more entitlements than his wife—regardless of their personal or financial situation. Today, both partners in a relationship—no matter how they identify—are seen equally in the eyes of the Canadian government.
In order to give more power to women in relationships, the Commission recommended to shorten the Divorce Act separation from three years to one year, allow a married woman to obtain a passport in her own name or the surname of her husband, and to recognize equal partnership in marriage so that the contribution of each spouse is acknowledged.
For the rest of her life, Elsie worked tirelessly to ensure the Commission’s 167 recommendations to the federal government were implemented. Her dedication paid off: by the 1980s, most of them were—and they continue to impact the lives of women in Canada today.
As one of the most exceptional and noteworthy Canadians of the 20th century, Elsie MacGill continues to be an inspiration to us all. Learn more about her extraordinary life, as well as our newest commemorative circulation coin minted in her honour.
Sources:
Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada | Statistics Canada, The surge of women in the workforce | Statistics Canada, Study: Unmasking differences in women's full-time employment | Government of Canada, Evolution of pay equity | Government of Canada, Equality and inclusion in federally regulated industries and workplaces | Government of Canada, EI maternity and parental benefits | Canadian Labour Congress