Pat Carney was an incredible woman who made her mark in Canadian politics and journalism.
This Tuesday, she passed away at the age of 88.
She will be remembered for her strong commitment to female empowerment and equality.
Born in Shanghai, China in 1935, Pat Carney received her education in Canada.
After venturing into the Northwest Territories and Yukon as an economic consultant and journalist, she finally decided to pursue a career in politics.
In 1980 she became the first female Conservative member of Parliament elected from British Columbia (B.C.).
She also served as president of the Treasury Board under Brian Mulroney’s cabinet as well as minister of energy and international trade – making history each time by becoming the first woman ever appointed to those positions.
In 1991 when Pat Carney voted against her own government’s anti-abortion bill that would have taken away women’s right to choose what happens with their own bodies – it was one of the most difficult moments for her during her political career.
Despite being personally opposed to abortion herself, she knew that other women had their own reasons to make a different choice than hers – so she chose to vote against this bill which only ended up passing by one single vote.
This powerful action is just one example of how passionate Pat Carney was about protecting women’s rights above all else throughout her career in politics and journalism.
Pat Carney leaves behind an incredibly impactful legacy; not only did she strive to create more roles for women within Canadian politics but also developed distance learning systems which earned her numerous awards such as a B.C Institute of Technology award for innovation in education back in 1977.
Furthermore, before entering politics Carney worked hard writing articles on business topics for various newspapers including The Vancouver Sun and The Vancouver Province while simultaneously becoming a pioneer in business column writing – paving the way towards more gender equality within these industries too.
