Canadian Women Leaders

Canadian politician and Progressive Conservative leader Kim Campbell made headlines when she became the first woman to serve as the prime minister of Canada and remains the only woman to have achieved the feat. After quitting her doctoral studies, she studied law and joined the British Columbia Bar.

Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian stateswoman who became the first black person and Haitian Canadian to serve as Governor General of Canada, a position which she held from 2005 to 2010. In 2015, Jean became the first woman to serve as the secretary-general of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, a position which she held until the end of 2018.

Kathleen Wynne is a Canadian politician who took office as the 25th premier of Ontario in February 2013 and served for a term of five years. She is the first female premier of Ontario. During her tenure, she implemented reforms to increase the minimum wages and bring down the unemployment rate. She is openly lesbian. 

Adrienne Clarkson is a Hong Kong-born Canadian political leader and journalist. She is best known for her service as the Governor General of Canada from 7 October 1999 to 27 September 2005. Over the course of her career, Adrienne Clarkson has won many prestigious medals and awards such as the Canadian Centennial Medal and the Vimy Award.

Canadian author and social reformer Nellie McClung had struck gold with her first novel, Sowing Seeds in Danny, a bestseller. She also spoke widely about woman suffrage and was part of the Alberta legislature. She was part of The Famous Five, a group of women who launched the Persons Case.

The current Canadian Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations, Carolyn Bennett is also a qualified physician and has been a public health minister earlier. The Liberal Party of Canada member has also taught medicine at the University of Toronto and been part of several medical boards.

Apart from being the CEO and president of World Wildlife Fund Canada, Megan Leslie has also served as an MP for Halifax. She worked toward enlisting plastic microbeads on the list of toxic substances under the Environmental Protection Act of Canada. She is also a qualified lawyer.