Famous Five and CAP Meeting in Calgary
I just came back from the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Physicists that took place in Calgary, Alberta. It was a very intensive meeting for me as I am a member of the Division of Physics Education that has 9 sessions and of the Committee on Women in Physics. We were lucky to arrive on Sunday and to talk a few hours to explore downtown where we found a very interesting exhibit – The Famous Five – the sculptures of five women who in 1928 dared to challenge the Parliament of Canada that used 1867 – The British North America Act: http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/themes/constitution/constitution13_e.html to claim that WOMEN ARE NOT PERSONS. Today it might sound strange, but these FAMOUS FIVE affected the lives of many women who followed – women in politics, in academia and in all spheres of life. What struck me in this story, was how recent it was. Less than 100 years ago women OFFICIALLY were not considered persons… This story was my opening life for a panel I facilitated that was aimed at exploring the role of mentorship for women in science… It was certainly a memorable congress and a very memorable opportunity for me… I wonder if contemporary students know about THE FAMOUS FIVE… They should…