December 6th marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, with events across the country and on all three University of Toronto campuses. In 2016, this award was established to recognize students who have made important contributions in the area of gender-based violence research and prevention. To learn more about why this event exists and how the university continues to honour it, check out this article.
The Ceta Ramkhalawansingh Scholarship will be awarded to one upper-year undergraduate student enrolled in a major or specialist program in women and gender studies or in Caribbean studies.
Elsie Gregory MacGill was the first woman to receive a degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto in 1927. Following graduation, Elsie became the first woman to earn a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan. During the Second World War, Elsie led a team of engineers and created the Hawker Hurricane (a popular single-seat fighter aircraft), earning her the nickname “Queen of the Hurricanes.” To learn more about Elsie’s work, check out this Heritage Minute video or her page in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Helen Gregory MacGill was the first woman to graduate from Trinity College, the first woman in the British Empire to earn a music degree, and the first female judge to join British Columbia’s legislature in 1917, serving for twenty-three years. Helen was a strong advocate for women’s rights and founded the Vancouver Music Society to allow women to enjoy music together and discuss ideas of social importance. To learn more about Helen, watch this video on the fight for women’s right to vote in British Columbia, or check out her page in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
