Calgary & Southern Alberta

Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson
Courtesy of National Archives of Canada

Beginning in the 1960s women began to question their status and role in society as they moved into the workforce in increasing numbers and found themselves confined to traditional female jobs. As a result, in 1967, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson appointed the Royal Commission on the Status of Women to "inquire and report upon the status of women in Canada, and to recommend what steps might be taken by the Federal Government to ensure for women equal opportunities with men in all aspects of Canadian society."

The triumph of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1971 was marked by a distinct lack of female candidates. The Party was slow to usher in changes recommended by the Royal Commission. Throughout 1971 and 1972 the Alberta Citizens' Advisory Board studied the status of women in the province. It recommended the equal distribution of property rights for women following divorce and better day-care facilities. Its members, however, were reticent to fully endorse any of the Commission's requests. In 1973 it passed the Individual Rights Protection Act and one year later established the Alberta Human Rights Commission. In 1977 women were granted an eighteen week unpaid maternity leave. Fifteen years after the Royal Commission, the government created the Alberta Advisory Council on Women’s Issues in 1986.

Women themselves formed the Calgary Status of Women Action Committee in 1974 and the Alberta Status of Women Action Committee in 1975. Both groups share the mandate of being non-profit, charitable organisations committed to strengthening the social, political and economic position of women through education and action. CSWAC has also acted as an umbrella organisation for other feminist groups. In particular, CSWAC has nurtured the HERLAND Feminist Film Festival.

1998 HERLAND Feminist Film Festival

HERLAND is an annual feminist film and video celebration that showcases the work of women, with special emphasis on the work of aboriginal women and women of colour. HERLAND enjoys a unique reputation as the only festival of its kind in Western Canada and the longest running festival in Canada (founded in 1989) that showcases exclusively Canadian women filmmakers and videographers. HERLAND defines feminism as the political theory and practice to free all women while recognizing that women's experiences are complex, interrelated, and diverse.