Happy International Women’s Day!
On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, Women’s College Hospital is highlighting our commitment to equitable healthcare under the theme Accelerating Action. For over 140 years, WCH has broken barriers in pursuit of a healthier, more equitable world. Here’s a look back at how we’ve moved the needle.
Dr. Emily Stowe
Dr. Emily Stowe was Canada’s first female doctor to practice medicine and the founder of Women’s College Hospital. In the early 1860s she was denied entry into medical school in Canada because she was a woman. After receiving her education elsewhere, she returned and helped to establish Woman’s Medical College in 1883 – ensuring that future generations of women had access to medical education.
Women’s College Hospital
At a time when there were limited opportunities for women in medicine in Canada, Women’s College Hospital (WCH) was founded as a place where female doctors, surgeons, and specialists could study, train, and practice medicine. WCH opened its doors on November 10, 1911. It was Canada’s first women’s general hospital operated by female physicians.
Laboratory program for women
Women’s College Hospital (WCH) was instrumental in helping to break down barriers for women in laboratory sciences in Toronto at a time when opportunities for female students were limited. In the 1930s WCH began its own medical laboratory technician training program for women. It was so popular that by the mid-1950s, it boasted the largest class of laboratory technicians in any Toronto hospital – all women.
Dr. Eva Mader Macdonald
Dr. Eva Mader Macdonald, Director of Laboratories at Women’s College Hospital (WCH), wanted to encourage more women to pursue training in the traditionally male-dominated field of advanced laboratory sciences. At WCH, she expanded internship opportunities in the labs and helped to establish an annual pathology fellowship for women in 1948.
Research Nights at Women’s College Hospital
Medical research at Women’s College Hospital (WCH) expanded when the hospital moved to 76 Grenville Street in 1935. However, its researchers faced challenges. As female scientists, they were less likely to have their research published or be invited to scientific conferences. Undeterred, WCH believed that its new building provided a unique opportunity to showcase its own research. On November 3, 1938, WCH held its first research night in the foyer of the hospital for other female physicians. This tradition would continue and evolve throughout WCH’s history.
Dorothy Frances Graham Research Fellowship Fund
Fundraising for women’s health and women’s health research was an early challenge for Women’s College Hospital (WCH).
As Canada’s first women’s hospital run by women doctors, WCH often encountered gender discrimination and unfair bias. This means that the women’s skills and abilities as doctors were often unfairly pre-judged because they were women.
But as WCH evolved into a modern hospital in the 1920s, it earned the city’s trust – especially among women. The hospital relied on the support of local government, residents of Toronto, and women’s groups to help fund its expansion and equipment. Yet fundraising for medical research continued to be a challenge.
In Canada, early medical research was funded by the provincial governments. Universities, private individuals, and foundations also contributed. It was not until 1938 that the National Research Council began funding medical research on a national scale.
Yet, WCH continued to face two obstacles. Firstly, there was little funding for women’s health research. Historians believe that this did not come until the 1980s in Canada. Even then it was very little. It was estimated that only 5% of research money went towards women’s health research in Canada by the mid-1990s.
Secondly, studies have shown that research projects submitted by women are less likely to be funded than those submitted by men. This is referred to as a gender gap in research. A study published in 2019 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research found this still happens today.
In the 1940s, WCH received funding from the Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation. It helped to support WCH’s Cancer Detection Clinic and laid the groundwork for research in women’s cancers. But if WCH was to continue to grow its research program, it needed more funding.
The solution came from the generosity of Canadian philanthropist Charles Luther Burton. In December 1955, Burton established the Dorothy Frances Graham Research Fellowship Fund. It was named in honour of his daughter who was the chair of the WCH Board of Directors.
The annual proceeds from the Research Fund were used to fund research projects at the hospital and develop research fellowships for young women. Research at WCH greatly expanded in both the number of studies conducted, as well as in the areas of research. For the first time, WCH could set and fund its own research priorities and help to encourage and mentor the next generation of female medical researchers.
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the trailblazers who shaped WCH, inspire us today, and drive us towards a more equitable healthcare future.
