Ladies, upstairs! : my life in politics and after

The intriguing memoir of a fish out of water in Pierre Trudeau's cabinet.-- More than fifty years after most Canadian women received the right to vote, very few women were elected as members of Parliament and none came from Quebec. Canada's 1972 federal election marked a refreshing transition. Twice as many female candidates ran for office than in the previous election, and, of the five women elected to the House of Commons that year, three Liberal Party candidates - Monique Bégin, Albanie Morin, and Jeanne Sauvé - shared the honour of being the first Quebec women MPs. In this riveting memoir of a trailblazing female politician, Monique Bégin tells the story of her journey into politics and beyond. Born in Italy, Bégin spent her childhood in France and Portugal before arriving in Montreal as a refugee of the Second World War. In 1967, she was swept into the world of politics when she became executive secretary of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. Inspired by Pierre Trudeau, she then ran for the House of Commons and served in various cabinet positions, ultimately spearheading the landmark Canada Health Act before retiring to pursue a career in academia. Offering a revealing glimpse into the pervading sexism of Canadian public life, Ladies, Upstairs! details the experiences of a feisty, candid outsider who, through sheer fortitude, intelligence, and hard work, became minister of health and welfare, a university dean, a sought-after member for commissions of inquiry, and an international expert on public health. The voice of a woman in a male world, a francophone among anglophones, and a skeptical politician, Ladies, Upstairs! provides a fascinating account of one of Canada's most impressive federal ministers and her discoveries through the decades The intriguing memoir of a fish out of water in Pierre Trudeau's cabinet.-- More than fifty years after most Canadian women received the right to vote, very few women were elected as members of Parliament and none came from Quebec. Canada's 1972 federal election marked a refreshing transition. Twice as many female candidates ran for office than in the previous election, and, of the five women elected to the House of Commons that year, three Liberal Party candidates - Monique Bégin, Albanie Morin, and Jeanne Sauvé - shared the honour of being the first Quebec women MPs. In this riveting memoir of a trailblazing female politician, Monique Bégin tells the story of her journey into politics and beyond. Born in Italy, Bégin spent her childhood in France and Portugal before arriving in Montreal as a refugee of the Second World War. In 1967, she was swept into the world of politics when she became executive secretary of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. Inspired by Pierre Trudeau, she then ran for the House of Commons and served in various cabinet positions, ultimately spearheading the landmark Canada Health Act before retiring to pursue a career in academia. Offering a revealing glimpse into the pervading sexism of Canadian public life, Ladies, Upstairs! details the experiences of a feisty, candid outsider who, through sheer fortitude, intelligence, and hard work, became minister of health and welfare, a university dean, a sought-after member for commissions of inquiry, and an international expert on public health. The voice of a woman in a male world, a francophone among anglophones, and a skeptical politician, Ladies, Upstairs! provides a fascinating account of one of Canada's most impressive federal ministers and her discoveries through the decades "More than fifty years after most Canadian women received the right to vote, very few women were elected as members of Parliament and none came from Quebec. Canada's 1972 federal election marked a refreshing transition. Twice as many female candidates ran for office than in the previous election, and, of the five women elected to the House of Commons that year, three Liberal Party candidates - Monique Bégin, Albanie Morin, and Jeanne Sauvé - shared the honour of being the first Quebec women MPs. In this riveting memoir of a trailblazing female politician, Monique Bégin tells the story of her journey into politics and beyond. Born in Italy, Bégin spent her childhood in France and Portugal before arriving in Montreal as a refugee of the Second World War. In 1967, she was swept into the world of politics when she became executive secretary of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. Inspired by Pierre Trudeau, she then ran for the House of Commons and served in various cabinet positions, ultimately spearheading the landmark Canada Health Act before retiring to pursue a career in academia. Offering a revealing glimpse into the pervading sexism of Canadian public life, Ladies, Upstairs! details the experiences of a feisty, candid outsider who, through sheer fortitude, intelligence, and hard work, became minister of health and welfare, a university dean, a sought-after member for commissions of inquiry, and an international expert on public health. The voice of a woman in a male world, a francophone among anglophones, and a skeptical politician, Ladies, Upstairs! provides a fascinating account of one of Canada's most impressive federal ministers and her discoveries through the decades."-- Publisher's website Cover LADIES, UPSTAIRS! Title Copyright Contents Foreword Prologue Illustrations PART I Beginnings 1 From Europe to Canada: Life as a Refugee 2 The Love of Learning 3 Sociology Here and Abroad 4 Working and Getting Involved: Thérèse Casgrain 5 Executive Secretary of a National Royal Commission PART II Life as a Politician 6 Going into Politics, Me? 7 The House of Commons: A Strange Universe 8 Parliamentary Secretary for Eleven Months 9 Minister or Not? National Revenue PART III The Biggest Department 10 National Health and Welfare: The Medical Research Council 11 Social Policies: the Child Tax Credit and Pensions 12 Aboriginal Health: Inuit and First Nations 13 The Canada Health Act (1984) 14 Under the Microscope: A Few Very Public Files PART IV Working with Pierre Trudeau 15 The First Quebec Referendum (1980) 16 Trudeau’s Two Departures 17 “The Boss” PART V Becoming an Academic 18 A Visiting Professor: Notre Dame and McGill 19 Four Years in Women’s Studies (Unearthing Women’s Health) 20 Dean of the New Faculty of Health Sciences 21 Visiting Professor in Health Administration: Insolent Thoughts about Universities 22 An Ontario Report on Education and Two International Commissions Conclusion Acknowledgments Index