Since 1867, 190 women have been elected to the House of Commons representing various political parties: Liberal Party 81, Progressive Conservative Party 37, New Democratic Party 24, Bloc Québécois 23, Conservative Party of Canada 10, Reform Party 7, Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance 4, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 1, Independent Conservative 1, Progressive 1 and Unity 1.

At the call of the January 23, 2006 election, women’s representation in the House of Commons was as follows: Liberal 34, Bloc Québécois 14, Conservative 11, New Democratic Party 4, and Independent 2, for a total of 65.

Women were given the right to run as candidates in federal elections in 1920. (As per An Act Respecting the Election of Members of the House of Commons and the Electoral Franchise ("Dominion Elections Act"), S.C. 1920, c. 46, s. 38, assented to on July 1, 1920.)

In the general election of December 6, 1921, 4 women ran as candidates and only one was elected: Miss Agnes Campbell MacPhail became the first woman to sit in the House of Commons; she was elected as a Progressive.

There were 380 women running in the January 23, 2006 general election:

108 represented the New Democratic Party (12 elected)

79 represented the Liberal Party (21 elected)

72 represented the Green Party (none elected)

38 represented the Conservative Party of Canada (14 elected)

24 represented the Marxist-Leninist Party (none elected)

23 represented the Bloc Québécois (17 elected)

8 represented the Canadian Action Party (none elected)

8 represented the Canadian Heritage Party of Canada (none elected)

7 represented the Communist Party of Canada (none elected)

7 ran as Independents (none elected)

1 represented the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada (none elected)

1 represented the Libertarian Party of Canada (none elected)

1 represented the Marijuana Party (none elected)

1 represented the PC Party (none elected)

1 represented the Western Block Party (none elected)

1 ran under no affiliation (none elected)

A total of 64 women were elected to the House of Commons in this general election. The record for the most women elected is 65, in the June 28, 2004 election.

Miss Agnes Campbell MacPhail became the first woman to sit in the House of Commons; she was elected as a Progressive in the December 6, 1921 general election.

Hon. Ellen Louks Fairclough was the first woman to hold a Cabinet post. She was appointed Secretary of State of Canada, June 21, 1957.

The Rt. Hon. Jeanne Sauvé was the first woman chosen Speaker of the House of Commons on April 14, 1980. She was also the first woman to be Governor General of Canada from May 14, 1984 to January 28, 1990.

Hon. Sheila Maureen Copps was the first to give birth while sitting as a Member of Parliament. Her daughter, Danelle Lauren, was born March 27, 1987.

Hon. Sheila Maureen Copps was the first woman named Deputy Prime Minister on November 4, 1993.

The Rt. Hon. A. Kim Campbell was the first woman to become Prime Minister of Canada on June 25, 1993, although the Hon. Ellen Louks Fairclough served as Acting Prime Minister in 1958 for 2 days.

Suzanne Tremblay was the first woman appointed Opposition House Leader on March 17, 1997.

Women were granted the right to vote pursuant to An Act to confer the Electoral Franchise upon Women (S.C. 1918, c.20) passed May 25, 1918 and in effect January 1, 1919.

However, women who were British subjects and had close relatives in the armed forces could vote on behalf of their male relatives in federal elections, as per the Military Voters Act (S.C. 1917, c.34) passed on September 9, 1917.