Women have served in the Canadian Senate since Senator Cairine Wilson was first appointed to the Senate by the government of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in 1930. [1] Since then, women have represented every province and territory in the Senate.
Women won the right to be appointed to the Senate in 1929 due to the Famous Five Persons Case (Edwards v Canada (AG)).
The following women were appointed to the Senate of Canada but are no longer serving. This table matches the structure used in List of current senators of Canada.
| Name | Province or Territory (Senate Division) | Date Appointed | Date Left Office | Appointed on the advice of | Notes or Titles | Other Professions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairine Wilson | ON (Rockcliffe) | 1930-02-15 | 1962-03-03 | King | First woman appointed senator | homemaker, social worker | ||
| Iva Campbell Fallis | ON (Peterborough) | 1935-07-20 | 1956-03-07 | Bennett | homemaker, teacher | |||
| Muriel McQueen Fergusson | NB (Fredericton) | 1953-05-19 | 1975-05-23 | St. Laurent | lawyer | |||
| Mariana Beauchamp Jodoin | QC (Saurel) | 1953-05-19 | 1966-06-01 | St. Laurent | ||||
| Nancy Hodges | BC (Victoria) | 1953-11-05 | 1965-06-12 | St. Laurent | journalist | |||
| Florence Elsie Inman | PE (Murray Harbour) | 1955-07-28 | 1986-05-31 | St. Laurent | director | |||
| Olive Lillian Irvine | MB (Lisgar) | 1960-01-14 | 1969-11-01 | Diefenbaker | teacher | |||
| Josie Quart | QC (Victoria) | 1960-11-16 | 1980-04-17 | Diefenbaker | volunteer worker | |||
| Mary Elizabeth Kinnear | ON (Welland) | 1967-04-06 | 1973-04-03 | Pearson | shipper, clerk | |||
| Ann Bell (Heath) | BC (Nanaimo-Malaspina) | 1970-10-07 | 1989-11-29 | Trudeau | director | |||
| Thérèse Casgrain | QC (Mille Isles) | 1970-10-07 | 1971-07-10 | Trudeau | lecturer, journalist, humanist | |||
| Renaude Lapointe | QC (Mille Isles) | 1971-11-10 | 1987-01-03 | Trudeau | journalist | |||
| Margaret Norrie | NS (Colchester-Cumberland) | 1972-04-27 | 1980-10-16 | Trudeau | farmer, professor (assistant) - biology | |||
| Joan Neiman | ON (Peel) | 1972-09-01 | 1995-09-09 | Trudeau | lawyer | |||
| Margaret Jean Anderson | NB (Northumberland-Miramichi) | 1978-03-23 | 1990-08-07 | Trudeau | businesswoman | |||
| Florence Bayard Bird | ON (Carleton) | 1978-03-23 | 1983-01-15 | Trudeau | broadcaster, author, journalist | |||
| Dalia Wood | QC (Montarville) | 1979-03-26 | 1999-01-31 | Trudeau | real estate broker, businesswoman | |||
| Yvette Boucher Rousseau | QC (De Salaberry) | 1979-03-27 | 1988-03-17 | Trudeau | professor, union staff member, author | |||
| Martha Bielish | AB (Lakeland) | 1979-09-27 | 1990-09-26 | Clark | farmer, teacher | |||
| Anne Cools | ON (Toronto Centre -York) | 1984-01-13 | 2018-08-11 | Trudeau | First black member; Longest serving member of the Senate | community-development worker, administrator | ||
| Lorna Marsden | ON (Toronto-Taddle Creek) | 1984-01-24 | 1992-08-31 | Trudeau | professor of sociology | |||
| Joyce Fairbairn | AB (Lethbridge) | 1984-06-29 | 2013-01-18 | Trudeau | First woman to serve as Leader of the Government of the Senate [2] | journalist | ||
| Brenda Robertson | NB (Riverview) | 1984-12-21 | 2004-05-23 | Mulroney | businesswoman | |||
| Ethel Cochrane | NL | 1986-11-17 | 2012-09-23 | Mulroney | professor - community college, reading specialist, school principal, teacher | |||
| Eileen Rossiter | PE | 1986-11-17 | 2004-07-14 | Mulroney | realtor | |||
| Mira Spivak | MB | 1986-11-17 | 2009-07-12 | Mulroney | educator, businesswoman | |||
| Solange Chaput-Rolland | QC (Mille Isles) | 1988-09-26 | 1994-05-14 | Mulroney | commentator, journalist, writer | |||
| Pat Carney | BC | 1990-08-30 | 2008-01-31 | Mulroney | economist, economic consultant, journalist | |||
| Nancy Teed | NB (Saint John) | 1990-08-30 | 1993-01-29 | Mulroney | interior decorator, personnel consultant, businesswoman | |||
| Mabel DeWare | NB (Moncton) | 1990-09-23 | 2001-08-09 | Mulroney | volunteer worker, dental assistant | |||
| Janis Johnson | MB | 1990-09-27 | 2016-09-27 | Mulroney | public affairs consultant, political officer | |||
| Thérèse Lavoie-Roux | QC (Acadie) | 1990-09-27 | 2001-03-12 | Mulroney | professor, social worker, therapist | |||
| Raynell Andreychuk | SK | 1993-03-11 | 2019-08-13 | Mulroney | judge, ambassador, lawyer | |||
| Erminie Cohen | NB (Saint John) | 1993-06-04 | 2001-07-23 | Mulroney | businesswoman | |||
| Marjory LeBreton | ON | 1993-06-18 | 2015-07-04 | Mulroney | senior political adviser, administrative supervisor | |||
| Lise Bacon | QC (De la Durantaye) | 1994-09-15 | 2009-08-25 | Chrétien | administrator | |||
| Sharon Carstairs | MB | 1994-09-15 | 2011-10-17 | Chrétien | teacher | |||
| Landon Pearson | ON | 1994-09-15 | 2005-11-16 | Chrétien | editor, author | |||
| Céline Hervieux-Payette | QC (Bedford) | 1995-03-21 | 2016-04-22 | Chrétien | director of public relations, lawyer, administrator, businesswoman | |||
| Rose-Marie Losier-Cool | NB (Tracadie) | 1995-03-21 | 2012-06-18 | Chrétien | teacher | |||
| Doris Margaret Anderson | PE (St. Peter's, Kings County) | 1995-09-21 | 1997-07-05 | Chrétien | professor, nutritionist | |||
| Marie Charette-Poulin | ON (Northern Ontario) | 1995-09-21 | 2015-04-17 | Chrétien | lecturer, broadcasting executive, public servant, researcher, executive | |||
| Lorna Milne | ON (Peel County) | 1995-09-21 | 2009-12-13 | Chrétien | genealogist, lecturer, author, businesswoman | |||
| Shirley Maheu | QC (Rougemont) | 1996-02-01 | 2006-02-01 | Chrétien | insurance broker, administrator | |||
| Jean Forest | AB (Edmonton) | 1996-05-16 | 1998-08-28 | Chrétien | businesswoman, teacher | |||
| Lucie Pépin | QC (Shawinigan) | 1997-04-08 | 2011-09-07 | Chrétien | registered nurse | |||
| Peggy Butts | NS | 1997-09-22 | 1999-08-15 | Chrétien | social activist, educator, clergyperson | |||
| Catherine Callbeck | PE | 1997-09-22 | 2014-07-25 | Chrétien | businesswoman | |||
| Marisa Ferretti Barth | QC (Repentigny) | 1997-09-22 | 2006-04-28 | Chrétien | social worker | |||
| Thelma Chalifoux | AB | 1997-11-26 | 2004-02-08 | Chrétien | educator | |||
| Joan Cook | NL | 1998-03-06 | 2009-10-06 | Chrétien | volunteer worker, businesswoman | |||
| Marian Maloney | ON (Surprise Lake, Thunder Bay, North Western Ontario) | 1998-06-11 | 1999-08-16 | Chrétien | community-development worker, public relations officer, organizer of events, fundraiser | |||
| Lois Wilson | ON (Toronto) | 1998-06-11 | 2002-04-08 | Chrétien | author, minister | |||
| Joan Fraser | QC (De Lorimier) | 1998-09-17 | 2018-02-02 | Chrétien | journalist | |||
| Vivienne Poy | ON (Toronto) | 1998-09-17 | 2012-09-17 | Chrétien | First Senator of Asian ancestry [3] | author, fashion designer, entrepreneur | ||
| Sheila Finestone | QC (Montarville) | 1999-08-11 | 2002-01-28 | Chrétien | political analyst, administrator | |||
| Ione Christensen | YK | 1999-09-02 | 2006-12-31 | Chrétien | judge, public servant | |||
| Isobel Finnerty | ON | 1999-09-02 | 2005-07-15 | Chrétien | political activist, medical secretary | |||
| Jane Cordy | NS | 2000-06-09 | 2024-11-18 | Chrétien | teacher | |||
| Betty Kennedy | ON | 2000-06-20 | 2001-01-04 | Chrétien | broadcaster, author, journalist | |||
| Libbe Hubley | PE | 2001-03-08 | 2017-09-07 | Chrétien | politician | |||
| Mobina Jaffer | BC | 2001-06-13 | 2024-08-19 | Chrétien | First South Asian woman appointed to the Senate | solicitor, barrister, lawyer | ||
| Viola Léger | NB (Acadie) | 2001-06-13 | 2005-06-29 | Chrétien | actress, drama teacher, artistic director | |||
| Maria Chaput | MB | 2002-12-12 | 2016-02-29 | Chrétien | consultant, businesswoman | |||
| Pana Merchant | SK | 2002-12-12 | 2017-03-31 | Chrétien | businesswoman, teacher | |||
| Madeleine Plamondon | QC (The Laurentides) | 2003-09-09 | 2006-09-21 | Chrétien | consumer advocate | |||
| Marilyn Trenholme Counsell | NB | 2003-09-09 | 2008-10-22 | Chrétien | nutritionist, physician | |||
| Lillian Dyck | SK | 2005-03-24 | 2020-08-23 | Martin | activist, professor, dean (associate), scientist, researcher, neurochemist | |||
| Elaine McCoy | AB | 2005-03-24 | 2020-12-29 | Martin | lawyer | |||
| Nancy Ruth | ON (Cluny) | 2005-03-24 | 2017-01-05 | Martin | activist, administrator | |||
| Claudette Tardif | AB | 2005-03-24 | 2018-02-02 | Martin | professor, educational administrator, dean, teacher | |||
| Andrée Champagne | QC (Grandville) | 2005-08-02 | 2014-07-17 | Martin | radio & tv announcer & producer, public relations officer, actress, administrator, writer | |||
| Sandra Lovelace Nicholas | NB | 2005-09-21 | 2023-01-31 | Martin | activist, carpenter, health care provider, administrator | |||
| Nicole Eaton | ON | 2009-01-02 | 2020-01-20 | Harper | trustee, director, columnist | |||
| Nancy Greene Raine | BC (Thompson-Okanagan-Kootenay) | 2009-01-02 | 2018-05-10 | Harper | athlete, director | |||
| Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis | QC (Rougemont) | 2009-01-14 | 2015-06-30 | Harper | teacher | |||
| Linda Frum | ON | 2009-08-27 | 2021-08-27 | Harper | author, journalist, columnist | |||
| Carolyn Stewart-Olsen | NB | 2009-08-27 | 2021-07-26 | Harper | registered nurse, communications director | |||
| JoAnne Buth | MB | 2012-01-06 | 2014-08-10 | Harper | president / manager | |||
| Asha Seth | ON | 2012-01-06 | 2014-12-15 | Harper | gynaecologist, obstetrician | |||
| Betty Unger | AB | 2012-01-06 | 2018-08-20 | Harper | registered nurse, businesswoman | |||
| Diane Bellemare | QC (Alma) | 2012-09-06 | 2024-10-12 | Harper | professor, economist, executive manager | |||
| Lynn Beyak | ON | 2013-01-25 | 2021-01-25 | Harper | business owner | |||
| Frances Lankin | ON | 2016-04-01 | 2024-10-20 | Trudeau, J. | social activist, union officer, chief executive officer | |||
| Ratna Omidvar | ON | 2016-04-01 | 2024-11-04 | Trudeau, J. | professor, executive director | |||
| Patricia Bovey | MB | 2016-11-10 | 2023-05-14 | Trudeau, J. | curator, historian, arts consultant | |||
| Renée Dupuis | QC (The Laurentides) | 2016-11-10 | 2024-01-16 | Trudeau, J. | author, lawyer, human rights consultant | |||
| Diane Griffin | PE | 2016-11-10 | 2022-03-17 | Trudeau, J. | professor, environmental consultant, senior public servant | |||
| Nancy Hartling | NB | 2016-11-10 | 2025-01-31 | Trudeau, J. | executive director, lecturer, social worker | |||
| Josée Forest-Niesing | ON | 2018-10-11 | 2021-11-20 | Trudeau, J. | lawyer | |||
| Judith Keating | NB | 2020-01-30 | 2021-07-15 | Trudeau, J. | lawyer, public servant | |||
The following women are currently serving in the Senate of Canada. This table matches the structure used in List of current senators of Canada.
| Name | Province or Territory (Senate Division) | Date Appointed | Mandatory Retirement Date | Appointed on the advice of | Notes or Titles | Other Professions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierrette Ringuette | NB | 2002-12-12 | 2030-12-31 | Chrétien | Speaker pro tempore | professor, lecturer, businesswoman | ||
| Yonah Martin | BC | 2009-01-02 | 2040-04-11 | Harper | educator, community activist | |||
| Pamela Wallin | SK | 2009-01-02 | 2028-04-10 | Harper | journalist, entrepreneur, corporate director, chancellor emeritus, diplomat | |||
| Judith Seidman | QC (De la Durantaye) | 2009-08-27 | 2025-09-01 | Harper | consultant, educator, social worker, epidemiologist, researcher | |||
| Elizabeth Marshall | NL | 2010-01-29 | 2026-09-07 | Harper | senior public servant, chartered accountant, auditor | |||
| Rose-May Poirier | NB (Saint-Louis-de-Kent) | 2010-02-28 | 2029-03-02 | Harper | sales manager, insurance agent, businesswoman | |||
| Salma Ataullahjan | ON (Toronto) | 2010-07-09 | 2027-04-29 | Harper | activist, realtor, artist | |||
| Josée Verner | QC (Montarville) | 2011-06-13 | 2034-12-30 | Harper | executive assistant, political adviser | |||
| Denise Batters | SK | 2013-01-25 | 2045-06-18 | Harper | lawyer | |||
| Raymonde Gagné | MB | 2016-04-01 | 2031-01-07 | Trudeau, J. | Speaker of the Senate | school superintendent, university president, educational administrator, teacher | ||
| Chantal Petitclerc | QC (Grandville) | 2016-04-01 | 2044-12-15 | Trudeau, J. | Chair of ISG Deliberations | athlete, lecturer | ||
| Wanda Thomas Bernard | NS | 2016-11-10 | 2028-08-01 | Trudeau, J. | educator, community activist, social worker, researcher | |||
| Gwen Boniface | ON | 2016-11-10 | 2030-08-05 | Trudeau, J. | educator, lawyer, police chief | |||
| Marilou McPhedran | MB | 2016-11-10 | 2026-07-22 | Trudeau, J. | educator, advocate (human rights), lawyer | |||
| Lucie Moncion | ON | 2016-11-10 | 2033-10-25 | Trudeau, J. | chief executive officer | |||
| Kim Pate | ON | 2016-11-10 | 2034-11-10 | Trudeau, J. | lawyer, human rights consultant, teacher | |||
| Marie-Françoise Mégie | QC (Rougemont) | 2016-11-25 | 2025-09-21 | Trudeau, J. | professor, physician | |||
| Raymonde Saint-Germain | QC (De la Vallière) | 2016-11-25 | 2026-10-07 | Trudeau, J. | Facilitator of the ISG | senior public servant | ||
| Rosa Galvez | QC (Bedford) | 2016-12-06 | 2036-06-21 | Trudeau, J. | professor, environmental consultant | |||
| Mary Coyle | NS | 2017-12-04 | 2029-11-05 | Trudeau, J. | development consultant, executive director | |||
| Mary Jane McCallum | MB | 2017-12-04 | 2027-05-01 | Trudeau, J. | dental therapist, professor (assistant) | |||
| Marty Deacon | ON (Waterloo Region) | 2018-02-15 | 2033-04-23 | Trudeau, J. | educator | |||
| Yvonne Boyer | ON | 2018-03-15 | 2028-10-25 | Trudeau, J. | First Indigenous woman from Ontario appointed to the Senate | lawyer, professor | ||
| Donna Dasko | ON | 2018-06-06 | 2026-08-19 | Trudeau, J. | pollster, sociologist, media commentator, businesswoman | |||
| Julie Miville-Dechêne | QC (Inkerman) | 2018-06-20 | 2034-07-10 | Trudeau, J. | journalist, senior public servant | |||
| Bev Busson | BC | 2018-09-24 | 2026-08-23 | Trudeau, J. | police officer | |||
| Patti LaBoucane-Benson | AB | 2018-10-03 | 2044-02-20 | Trudeau, J. | Deputy Gov. Representative | research director, lecturer, author | ||
| Paula Simons | AB | 2018-10-03 | 2039-09-07 | Trudeau, J. | columnist, author | |||
| Dawn Anderson | NT | 2018-12-12 | 2042-04-14 | Trudeau, J. | public servant | |||
| Pat Duncan | YK | 2018-12-12 | 2035-04-08 | Trudeau, J. | consultant, public servant | |||
| Rosemary Moodie | ON | 2018-12-12 | 2031-11-24 | Trudeau, J. | neonatologist, clinical teacher, professor | |||
| Bernadette Clement | ON | 2021-06-22 | 2040-05-17 | Trudeau, J. | Deputy Facilitator of the ISG | lawyer | ||
| Michèle Audette | QC (De Salaberry) | 2021-07-29 | 2046-07-20 | Trudeau, J. | Liaison (whip) of the PSG | consultant | ||
| Amina Gerba | QC (Rigaud) | 2021-07-29 | 2036-03-14 | Trudeau, J. | PSG Caucus Chair and Deputy Liaison (whip) | businesswoman | ||
| Karen Sorensen | AB | 2021-07-29 | 2034-05-20 | Trudeau, J. | community leader, mayor | |||
| Gigi Osler | MB | 2022-09-27 | 2043-09-09 | Trudeau, J. | surgeon, professor | |||
| Margo Greenwood | BC | 2022-11-10 | 2028-09-02 | Trudeau, J. | professor, doctor, author | |||
| Sharon Burey | ON | 2022-11-21 | 2032-12-04 | Trudeau, J. | pediatrician, physician | |||
| Rebecca Patterson | ON | 2022-11-21 | 2040-06-15 | Trudeau, J. | Deputy Leader of the CSG | military officer, nurse, director general | ||
| Jane MacAdam | PE | 2023-05-03 | 2032-03-01 | Trudeau, J. | auditor, accountant | |||
| Iris Petten | NL | 2023-05-03 | 2034-02-05 | Trudeau, J. | entrepreneur, community volunteer, senior executive | |||
| Judy White | NL | 2023-07-07 | 2039-01-11 | Trudeau, J. | public servant, lawyer | |||
| Joan Kingston | NB | 2023-10-31 | 2030-01-08 | Trudeau, J. | nurse | |||
| Krista Ross | NB | 2023-10-31 | 2042-09-30 | Trudeau, J. | community leader, Business Person | |||
| Marnie McBean | ON | 2023-12-20 | 2043-01-28 | Trudeau, J. | athlete, author | |||
| Paulette Senior | ON | 2023-12-20 | 2036-12-04 | Trudeau, J. | community leader, executive director | |||
| Mary Robinson | PE | 2024-01-22 | 2045-08-03 | Trudeau, J. | business executive, managing partner | |||
| Manuelle Oudar | QC (La Salle) | 2024-02-13 | 2038-07-05 | Trudeau, J. | lawyer, senior public servant, board director | |||
| Tracy Muggli | SK | 2024-08-16 | 2040-09-18 | Trudeau, J. | social worker, executive | |||
| Suze Youance | QC (Lauzon) | 2024-09-25 | 2045-08-11 | Trudeau, J. | engineer, teacher, researcher, television host | |||
| Nancy Karetak-Lindell | NU | 2024-12-19 | 2032-12-10 | Trudeau, J. | financial comptroller | |||
| Martine Hébert | QC (Victoria) | 2025-02-07 | 2040-10-07 | Trudeau, J. | economist, diplomat, public servant | |||
| Danièle Henkel | QC (Alma) | 2025-02-14 | 2031-01-16 | Trudeau, J. | businesswoman, author, political adviser | |||
| Dawn Arnold | NB | 2025-03-07 | 2041-04-23 | Trudeau, J. | administrator, mayor, executive, city councillor | |||
| Katherine Hay | ON | 2025-03-07 | 2036-01-16 | Trudeau, J. | director | |||
| Farah Mohamed | ON | 2025-03-07 | 2045-07-05 | Trudeau, J. | public speaker, advocate, chief executive officer | |||
| Sandra Pupatello | ON | 2025-03-07 | 2037-10-06 | Trudeau, J. | politician | |||