The “Persons Case” took place in 1929, when after two years of legal debate, Canada's highest court of appeal declared that the word "person" included both women and men. The case had been brought before the courts in 1927 by five Alberta women who became known as the "Famous Five." This Case has helped paved the way for women's increased participation in public and political life.
The Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case were created in 1979 to mark the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking case.
