One hundred years since the first women were elected in Lethbridge is being recognized by local politicians.
During the December 10th council meeting Councillor Belinda Crowson marked the 100-year anniversary of Susan Bawden and Mary McClenaghan being elected to the Lethbridge Public School Board. Crowson explains at the time women had previously run for council and were not successful but also it had not been that long since they received the right to vote, making two women being elected office in a big deal.
“Here we are 100 years later, and hopefully it will encourage even more young women to look and that and think ‘I can run’,” Crowson says. “Hopefully this is just one more thing to show them; it’s been done in the past, and we need to continue to keep getting smart, young people to continue to run for these positions.”
During the 1924 election, Bawden and McClenaghan were selected by the Local Council of Women as candidates and ran on a slate. Crowson says the Local Council of Women campaigned to get both women elected on December 9th, 1924.
“We had municipal political parties for about 70 years in Lethbridge, and this was done by the local council of women, they were determined to get women onto the school board. So, they chose both of them at one of their meetings and ran Mary McClenaghan and Susie Bawden as a slate. This was done through the political action of a local council of women.”
Councillor Crowson was joined by other women currently serving in elected office in the Lethbridge area to mark the anniversary, where the Lethbridge Public School Board was also presented with a photo of the 1926 board. She says the importance of having these women in attendance acknowledge the work female elected officials not only in Lethbridge but across the province continue to do to make the community a better place.
