Canadian Women Now and Then: More Than 100 Stores of Fearless Trailblazers

When looking at gender equality, it’s clear there’s still room for progress across the board. Sometimes it may be difficult to see the possibility for progress. It’s in those moments that it’s important to look at how much society has already changed and to use that as inspiration to continue to create positive change. Canadian Women Now and Then: More than 100 Stories of Fearless Trailblazers showcases Canadian women breaking barriers and making discoveries that have had positive impacts on broader society. Each bio is accompanied by an illustration of the person, capturing what she’s famous for, as well as her determination. In many cases, readers may know the name, but not the face, or the face, but not name. Their faces, names, and achievements will stay with readers will into the future.

Over 50 of the bios are pairs of women, starting with a ‘now’: a woman or girl making a difference in the present. Whether they working in male-dominated occupations such as politics, the military, and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), raising awareness around, and fighting, racism and biases that have not gone away, or helping other achieve their goals and dreams, readers will see themselves in the women and girls who are doing incredible work in the present.

Each ‘now’ is followed by a ‘then’, a woman from the past who broke down barriers that, in many cases, made the ‘now’ possible. While racism, gender discrimination, and stereotypes persist, overcoming them looks much more possible when compared with the barriers women overcame in the past and, in some cases, the personal attacks the endured. Additional bios, making up the 100 women, follow and give readers the opportunity to find someone in whose footsteps they want to follow.

Canadian Women Now and Then: More than 100 Stories of Fearless Trailblazers is an excellent example of representing diversity well: the women selected are racially diverse, diverse in ability, and, in many cases, work in male-dominated professions. Each bio is inspiring, and readers will be able to see themselves in the women and girls highlighted. A list of important dates in Canadian women’s history found at the back of the book lays out how far society has come and where change is still needed.

Putting the ‘now’ bio before the ‘then’, that is, reversing the order in which history is usually presented, has an interesting effect. The individuals in the present are all very impressive and inspirational and will inspire readers to think, “If she can do it, so can I!”. Having read about the struggles women and girls experience in the present, readers will be shocked by how far society has come after learning about the early trailblazers whose struggles and sacrifices made it possible for women and girls to achieve their dreams in the future. If they could do it, so can you!

Following the bios, “Following in Her Footsteps”, provides reflections questions including: What are you passionate about?; Is there something happening in the world that you think is unfair?; and How can you find persistence when someone tells you, “You can’t”?, with each question having an example pulled from the bios. These questions would be great for students of any gender at any grade level.

Packed with women from, and making, history, Canadian Women Now and Then: More than 100 Stories of Fearless Trailblazers addresses difficult societal problems and how just one person can create positive change for everyone. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go, delivered in an upbeat ‘you can do it’ tone. Canadian Women Now and Then: More than 100 Stories of Fearless Trailblazers should be required reading for everyone!