Doris ANDERSON

Doris Anderson was a Canadian journalist, author and champion of women’s rights.

Born in Calgary, Alberta in 1921, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta in 1945. From 1957 to 1977, Doris Anderson was editor of Chatelaine magazine, which under her leadership ran groundbreaking articles challenging the prevailing notion that women should find fulfilment as wives and homemakers. In 1974, she became an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was promoted to Companion of the Order in 2002.

In 1978, Doris Anderson ran unsuccessfully as the Liberal Party candidate in a by-election in the Toronto riding of Eglinton. The next year, Ms. Anderson was appointed Chair of the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. In that role, she worked tirelessly for the inclusion of women’s rights in the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Following her success in these endeavours, Doris Anderson served as President of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women from 1982 to 1984.

Other achievements include her work as a columnist with the Toronto Star, and her service as Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island. Doris Anderson authored several books, including Rebel Daughter, Rough Layout, Two Women, Affairs of State, and The Unfinished Revolution: Status of Women in Twelve Countries. Doris Anderson also played a pivotal role in the founding of Equal Voice as a national, multi-partisan organization working to foster the election of more in Canadian politics. Doris Anderson passed away in 2007.