Mr. Speaker, for the eighth year in a row, Canadians are celebrating Women's History Month in October.
October was chosen to commemorate the historical importance of the Persons Case. On October 18, 1929, following a long political and legal fight by a group of five women, the British privy council made a decision declaring that the term “persons” in section 24 of the British North America Act also included members of the female sex and that therefore women were eligible for Senate appointment.
In this Year of La Francophonie, the theme of Women's History Month is “Yesterday and Today: Francophone women in Canada”.
Nearly 7 million people live in French in Canada, and more than half of them are women. I am proud that the federal government is paying special homage to francophone women throughout the country for their exceptional contribution to the evolution of Canadian society.