Canada: The History of Her-Story

The First World War had a greater effect on the lives of women in Canada than the subsequent war because women fought for their right to higher education during this period. Many universities and colleges had previously denied admission to females before the war because they viewed women as intellectually challenged. However, the First World War influenced a shift in gender prejudice regarding education. During this time, women are seen graduating from university institutions in highly respected subjects such as medicine and law for the first time. In fact, McGill University situated in Montreal accepted its first women medical students in 1918. The first woman to receive a degree in Law from McGill was Annie Langstaff in 1914 and in 1917 women outnumbered men in the Faculty of Art for the first time. Progression in education was also evident in Ontario universities, when Minerva Reid, an Ontarian, became the first woman doctor to become Chief of Surgery in North America in 19155.Reid also campaigned for the establishment of Sunnybrook Hospital to care for wounded soldiers. Therefore, the First World War had a greater impact on Canadian women because it was the dawn of a new education era.