The Canadian government strives to ensure that everyone has access to sexual and reproductive health services. In Canada, we have the right to make informed decisions about our own bodies. Yet, this has not always been the case.
Not too long ago, many of the health services and reproductive rights that we have today did not exist. It is thanks to a small group of courageous individuals that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) have advanced in Canada.
One of the most vocal and respected SRHR advocates in the 20th century was Dr. Marion Powell.
Dr. Powell was seen as an unlikely leader of in Canadian family planning movement in the 1960s. She was a mother, the wife of a minister, and trained in public health later in life. Over the next three decades, Dr. Powell worked to ensure access to safe, accurate, and judgment-free sexual and reproductive health services. Her compassion and determination earned her the trust and respect of a generation of young Canadians.
Dr. Powell was a physician, medical researcher, and leader in women’s health. Whether she was helping to establish birth control clinics or advocating for sex education in the classroom, Dr. Powell always pushed the envelope. She challenged traditional views and societal norms of sex and sexuality. Her work became instrumental in changing public attitudes and government policy in Canada.
We invite you to explore Dr. Marion Powell’s contributions to the history of SRHR in Canada.
