This release was issued under a previous government.
Women and men gathered on the steps of the Legislature for an updated photo of one taken in 1916 to mark passage of women’s right to vote.
Alberta Women attending parliament during passage of Equal Suffrage Bill - Mar 1, 1916
“One hundred years ago today, women gained the hard-fought right to vote in Alberta.
“It was an important victory for social justice, but an incomplete one. The fight for equality continued as women of different cultural backgrounds sought the vote. It was finally extended to Canada’s Indigenous peoples in 1960.
“And it wasn’t until 2015 that Alberta achieved its first gender-balanced government and cabinet, which created the province’s first-ever ministry of Status of Women.
“Each of these firsts means we are still breaking barriers, 100 years later.
“Today, I stood for a photo with women from across Alberta – women of different experiences, gender identities, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds and economic statuses.
“Their voices are represented in our legislature today thanks to the decades-long struggle by courageous suffragists who knew health care, fair pay and safety reform starts at the ballot box.
“Today, we celebrate their bravery, and resolve that our government will honour their legacy by striving for true equality for women in Alberta.”