SASKATCHEWAN — October is Women's History Month in Saskatchewan, a time to celebrate the women who helped build our country, our province and our communities.
"We owe a great deal of thanks to the women in Saskatchewan who broke barriers, made history, and changed the world through perseverance and immense effort," Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Alana Ross said. "In my role, I have been fortunate to meet so many women who are continuing to make life better in our province and who will be part of a long and proud legacy.
"The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed October as Women's History Month, and I encourage everyone to celebrate the women who made a difference in our lives and continue to move us forward."
Women's History Month was first proclaimed by the Government of Canada in 1992 to recognize the day in 1929 when the historic decision to include women in the legal definition of persons was made by Canada's highest court of appeal. October 18 is Persons Day in Canada.
More than a decade earlier, in 1916, Saskatchewan women had won the right to vote.
"Throughout Saskatchewan’s history, women have been catalysts for real and lasting change,” Royal United Services Institute Executive Director and Chief Historian Kelsey Lonie said. ” Yet their contributions are often overlooked. By foregrounding their voices and stories this month, we expand the historical record and help future generations understand the full scope of who we are and how we came to be.”
Kelsey is also the author of the forthcoming A Vacation for Victory: An Illustrated History of the Women’s Land Army in Canada (May 2026), a book that explores the successful mobilization and contributions of prairie women during the Second World War.
Meet some of the women who have made history in our province:
Sarah Ramsland was the first female MLA in Saskatchewan. Sarah Ramsland (1882 – 1964) – Canada.ca.
Catherine Sheldon-Williams pioneered distance education in the province (a Regina High School is named in her honour). The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details.
Sylvia Fedoruk was Saskatchewan's first female lieutenant-governor. She was a medical physicist and helped develop the first cobalt-60 therapy unit at the University of Saskatchewan to treat cancer. Sylvia Olga Fedoruk | The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Meet Saskatchewan Suffragette's – the women who fought for the vote and won. Read more about Women's Suffrage in the Provincial Archives Grade 12: Women's Suffrage in Saskatchewan | The Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan.
