Field: Science, Tech and Business

Part of the committee responsible for founding Women’s College Hospital, Rowena Hume served as the hospital’s first President in 1911. She was also the hospital’s first Chief of Obstetrics Gynaecology; a position that she held for twenty years. Prior to her work at Women’s College Hospital, she lectured in Pathology and Bacteriology and was an assistant in Anatomy at Ontario Medical College for Women from 1902 to 1906. In 1932 she, along with Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw, a former colleague at the Ontario College for Women, founded the first birth control clinic in Canada in Hamilton, Ontario. A lifetime committed healthcare provider, Hume continued to run a private practice in Toronto after retirement. At the time of her passing in 1966, she was the oldest practicing female physician in Canada.

Hume’s work propelled the study and care of women’s health – the impacts of which are still felt today.

An advocate for women’s rights and physical health, Emily Stowe was a founder of the Canadian Women’s Suffrage Association and is considered the first female physician to publicly practice medicine in Ontario. Notably, she also became the first female principal of a public school in the province. Faced with limited opportunities for medical education in Canada, she pursued studies at the New York Medical College for Women. Upon her return, she opened a medical practice specializing in women and children in 1867. Canada’s evolving and exclusionary requirements for medical licensure meant that Stowe was forced to practice medicine without a formal Canadian license for over a decade. In 1880, she finally received her medical license from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, acknowledging her exceptional credentials and groundbreaking contributions to the field. She helped to establish Toronto’s first medical school for women in 1883 – the predecessor to Women’s College Hospital.

Stowe played a pivotal role in advancing women’s rights in Canada and empowering women in the medical field.

Kathleen Taylor, an accomplished Canadian business leader, became Chair of Royal Bank’s Board in 2014, making her the first woman to lead a major Canadian bank. A member of RBC’s Board since 2001, she chaired the Human Resources, Corporate Governance, and Audit and Risk Committees. Taylor also chairs the Sick Kids Foundation Board, a Trustee for the Hospital for Sick Children, and Co-Chair of the SickKids Capital Campaign. Taylor was recently appointed Chancellor of York University and was the former President and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Honoured with the Order of Canada, Taylor’s lasting influence embodies excellence and has paved the way for women executives.

Beatrice Worsley, recognized as Canada’s first female computer scientist, made significant contributions to the emerging field of computer science. Her journey began in 1929 when her family moved from Mexico to Toronto in search of better education for their children. Beatrice’s passion for computing ignited during a summer job at the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company in 1942. After completing her degree in 1944, she served in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service before pursuing postgraduate studies in 1946. She would go on to work on Canada’s first fully functional electronic computer, conduct foundational research, and teach at the University of Toronto and Queen’s University.

In 2014, Worsley’s groundbreaking work earned her a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Association of Computer Science.

Saadia Muzaffar, a passionate advocate of responsible innovation, equitable work opportunities, and immigrant talent in STEM, is the founder of TechGirls Canada, a leading platform for women in science, technology, engineering, and math in Canada. Additionally, she co-founded Tech Reset Canada, a collective of business leaders, technologists, and other residents advocating for innovation that benefits the public good. Recognized for her influential work, Muzaffar was featured in Canada 150 Women, a book celebrating groundbreaking women in the country. She proudly serves on the boards of Women’s Shelters Canada and the advisory board for the University of Guelph’s Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (CARE-AI).

Muzaffar’s dedication to supporting underrepresented communities in the tech sector and fostering a more inclusive and equitable environment for innovation has made an indelible mark on the Canadian tech industry.

Elizabeth MacGill, made history in 1929 by becoming the first woman to achieve a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. As Chief Aeronautical Engineer at the Canadian Car & Foundry in 1938, MacGill led the production of Hawker Hurricane fighter planes during World War II. Beyond her engineering achievements, she actively advocated for women’s rights, serving as national president of the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs (1962-1964). Additionally, she contributed her expertise to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada (1967-1970).

MacGill’s legacy of breaking barriers and advancing women’s rights helped build a more inclusive and progressive Toronto.

Cecilia Krieger holds the distinction of being the first woman to receive a doctorate in mathematics from a Canadian university. For over three decades, she imparted her knowledge as a dedicated mathematics and physics instructor at the University of Toronto. Krieger’s scholarly contributions expanded beyond teaching, as she became known for her English translations of notable mathematical texts, Introduction to General Typology and General Typology.

A true advocate for women’s education, Krieger’s work with the Canadian Association of University Women‘s Fellowship Committee helped empower women, mathematicians included, to pursue higher education.

In 1899, Clara Cynthia Benson made history as the first woman to graduate from the University of Toronto with a chemistry degree. In 1903, she achieved another milestone, being one of the first two women to earn a PhD at the University. Following her doctorate, Benson became one of the University’s first female professors, teaching at the Lillian Massey School of Domestic Science. During World War I, she made the remarkable discovery that the chemical properties of food and explosives could be analyzed using the same methods – revolutionizing munitions labs’ depth of analysis. Moreover, she played an active role in developing the University of Toronto’s women’s athletics program, serving as the Women’s Athletic Association’s inaugural president from 1921 until her retirement in 1945. The Clara Benson building, dedicated in her honour, remains a part of the university’s athletics facilities.

Benson’s impact lives on through the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s annual Clara Benson Award, presented to a woman whose work in chemistry has made a distinguished contribution in Canada.