Irene Parlby
Encyclopedia
Irene Parlby was a Canadian women's farm leader, activist and politician.
Born in London
, England
, Parlby came to Canada in 1896. In 1913, Parlby helped to found the first women's local of the United Farmers of Alberta
. In 1921, she was elected to the Alberta
Legislature for the riding of Lacombe
, holding the riding for 14 years. Appointed as minister without portfolio, she was the first woman Cabinet minister in Alberta.
Parlby was one of the Famous Five
or Valiant Five, who by means of a court battle known as the Persons Case established that women were "qualified Persons" in the meaning of the Constitution of Canada
and therefore entitled to sit in the Senate of Canada.
A lifelong advocate for rural Canadian women and children, Parlby was president of the United Farm Women of Alberta from 1916 to 1919. On behalf of the UFWA, she pushed to improve public health care
services and establish municipal hospitals as well as mobile medical and dental clinics. In 1921, Parlby was elected to the provincial legislature and made a cabinet minister (the second woman in Canada to hold a provincial cabinet post).
She was once quoted saying: "...and what when we die? Should women go back to the state they once belonged to. No, they should rather take arms against it, and fight for acknowledgment, not uniformity." Here she fought for acceptance rather that equality to the male race.
Among other honours, in October 2009, the Senate voted to name Parlby and the rest of the Five Canada's first "honorary senators."
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Parlby came to Canada in 1896. In 1913, Parlby helped to found the first women's local of the United Farmers of Alberta
United Farmers of Alberta
The United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...
. In 1921, she was elected to the Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
Legislature for the riding of Lacombe
Lacombe (provincial electoral district)
-1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:On October 30, 1957 a stand alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive...
, holding the riding for 14 years. Appointed as minister without portfolio, she was the first woman Cabinet minister in Alberta.
Parlby was one of the Famous Five
The Famous Five (Canada)
The Famous Five or The Valiant Five were five Canadian women who asked the Supreme Court of Canada to answer the question, "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?" in the case Edwards v...
or Valiant Five, who by means of a court battle known as the Persons Case established that women were "qualified Persons" in the meaning of the Constitution of Canada
Constitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
and therefore entitled to sit in the Senate of Canada.
A lifelong advocate for rural Canadian women and children, Parlby was president of the United Farm Women of Alberta from 1916 to 1919. On behalf of the UFWA, she pushed to improve public health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
services and establish municipal hospitals as well as mobile medical and dental clinics. In 1921, Parlby was elected to the provincial legislature and made a cabinet minister (the second woman in Canada to hold a provincial cabinet post).
She was once quoted saying: "...and what when we die? Should women go back to the state they once belonged to. No, they should rather take arms against it, and fight for acknowledgment, not uniformity." Here she fought for acceptance rather that equality to the male race.
Among other honours, in October 2009, the Senate voted to name Parlby and the rest of the Five Canada's first "honorary senators."
External links
- Library and Archives of Canada. Celebrating Women's Achievements: Irene Marryat Parlby
- Irene Parlby at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...