Some facts and dates in Canadian women's history of the 20th
century This article appeared in the Winter 2000 edition of the
CRIAW Newsletter, vol. 20, no. 1 Millennium of Achievements by
Marika Morris, CRIAW Research Coordinator A thousand years ago
only certain cultures, such as the Mohawk, offered women any
kind of equality, such as matrilineal descent and the choosing
of chiefs. Today, just like one thousand years ago, some women
around the world are still sold into prostitution, forced to
marry against their will, have no right or access to birth
control or abortion, have little access to education, and are
completely economically dependent on men. However, Canadian
women have also made significant gains over the last millennium,
and particularly over the past 100 years: - In 1897, after a
very long fight, Clara Brett Martin became Canada's first lawyer
and the first woman to practice law in the entire British
Empire. She overcame editorials opposing women lawyers on the
grounds that the physical attract