Amid the shouts of media scrums and hustle of high school tours, a quiet tea party takes place on Parliament Hill.
The guests are statues of the Famous Five, a group of Canadian women who fought for equal representation in politics. Most Canadians may be familiar with Nellie McClung, immortalized with a scroll declaring, “Women are Persons . . .”
While fellow suffragette Irene Parlby may be lesser known, her effigy is no less defiant. With a hand on her hip and a chin held high, Parlby’s statue personifies the strength of the Famous Five.
Parlby may have been the most politically active of the five women. Born in England, she immigrated to Alberta and was Parlby was instrumental in the creation of the United Farmers of Alberta political movement.
She helped enact legislation to improve the lives of women and children in the newly settled West. Parlby also held a seat in the Alberta legislature for 14 years and was the second woman in the British Empire to be a provincial cabinet member.
It is ironic that Parlby would rise to such acclaim, as by all accounts she despised politics and campaigning. Nevertheless, Parlby would reach the height of her influence as a Canadian delegate at the League of Nations.
The Famous Five statue also includes a plaque listing Parlby’s accomplishments.
Although all five women were named honorary senators in 2009, it seems that their efforts have still been largely in vain. Only 37 women sat in the 40th Canadian Parliament, a mere 12 per cent. However, female politicians can still look to the statues as a symbol in the ongoing struggle for equality.