The University of Ottawa Library's Archives and Special Collections is committed to promoting and facilitating access to archives documenting individuals and organizations that have worked to improve the status of women in Canada, from the 1960s until today.
The Canadian Women's Movements Portal, hosted by the University of Ottawa Library and supported by the generosity of distinguished alumni and friends, is a pan-Canadian inventory of archival materials available in heritage organizations across the country. Users will be able to search the database to locate the organizations and their records which document the trajectory of feminist activism in Canada, since 1960. The information available in the portal was gathered with the permission of the host organizations.
The portal is not representative of all activists, especially those from under-represented communities who may have been impacted by colonial, as well as other discriminatory archival practices, systemic racism, or may not have been comfortable donating their records to an institution. We recognize that work must be done to ensure that going forward, the historic record is more inclusive and accurate.
To use the portal, search or browse by archival institution, subject access points or by keyword. Information about the records has been translated and is available in both French and English. Please note that the records are typically only available in one language. For more information about the portal, to add your institutions records, or to learn more about uOttawa’s Archives and Special Collections’ Women’s Archives, please contact us at arcs@uottawa.ca or visit the Women’s Archives Initiative webpage: https://www.uottawa.ca/library/archives-special-collections/womens-archives-initiative
A note regarding language in descriptions:
ARCS and our partners aim to describe archival materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections. However, for a variety of reasons, users may encounter offensive or harmful language, for example, language that is racist, sexist, ableist, or homophobic in the descriptions of the records found in the portal.
Please contact us if you encounter problematic descriptions by emailing arcs@uottawa.ca . Staff will review the description and connect with the host institution to make updates that balance the preservation of original context with an awareness of the effect of language on users. We welcome your feedback.
Copyright Notice:
Permission to display and share the content of items for which we do not have copyright has been obtained where possible, however, the University of Ottawa Library Archives and Special Collections does not represent or guarantee this to be the case for every individual item. You agree that any use of this content will be at your sole risk, and that the University of Ottawa will not be responsible or liable for any damages that may occur due to your use. If you are the owner of content that you believe has been improperly attributed or is being used without permission, please get in touch by email: arcs@uottawa.ca.