The famous five biography

Five prominent Canadian women's rights advocates

This article is about the women's rights advocates. For other uses, see The Famous Five.

The Famous Five (French: Célèbres cinq), also known as The Valiant Five,^[1] and initially as The Alberta Five, were five prominent Canadian suffragists who advocated for women and children: Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, and Irene Parlby.^[2] On August 27, 1927, they petitioned the federal government to refer the issue of the eligibility of women to be senator to the Supreme Court of Canada.

This petition was the foundation of the Persons Case, a leading constitutional decision. Although most Canadian women had the vote in federal elections and all provinces but Quebec by 1927, the case was part of a larger drive for political equality.

This was the first step towards equality for women in Canada and was the start to the first wave of feminism.

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