Women were first allowed to vote at the federal level in Canada in the 1917 general election in connection with military service, and were allowed to vote under the same conditions as men beginning on May 24, 1918.
A by-election in 1941 saw a woman elected to the governing caucus for the first time.
Then 30th Parliament, elected in 1974, was another breakthrough, containing nine women MPs following the general election and rising to ten due to a by-election in 1976.
The number of women in the House would not fall below ten again.
Additional women were added every few years, but it was not until two appointments in March 1979 that the Senate would even have ten women serving simultaneously.