Agnes Campbell
Macphail, 1921, by the Kelsey Studio
As the first woman
to sit in the House of Commons, Agnes Macphail (1890-1954) was well aware of the media
attention and public scrutiny to which she would be subjected upon her election to
Parliament in 1921.
She was the first
woman to inspect Kingston Penitentiary. Despite attempts to ignore or discredit her
observations, she led the campaign for the improvement of conditions in prison. She was a
strong public advocate for the rights of women prisoners, and also a founding member of
the Elizabeth Fry Society of Canada.
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