Kim Campbell - First Female Prime Minister

The rise of Kim Campbell as Canada's first female Prime Minister is considered by many to be that of a phenomenon. Webster's Dictionary describes a phenomenon as being something of significant or rare, either fact or event. This can be shown by the rise of Kim Campbell from a local Vancouver School Board Trustee, to becoming Prime Minister of Canada. Of course, this success was dependent on her ability and ambition to succeed in what is still considered in contemporary terms as being a male dominated area of profession. Politics, especially in Canada and the United States has never been known for its equal availability between men and women, and only in recent times has seen growth in the number of women who are elected and participate in the democratic process. While other women in the past have made strides to provide equality between men and women, Kim Campbell is said to have made the biggest stride of all, she achieved many positions that had formerly been male dominated, and in some cases restricted to certain provinces of Canada. Campbell's rise to power can be credited to various factors, but of these factors, her education, her native province, her actions as a cabinet minister and a desire for change are most important. These factors would lead Kim Campbell to rise as Canada's first female Prime Minister. The factors that would ultimately be her demise were stronger than those that had helped her there, the media and internal fighting made it impossible for Campbell to continue as Prime Minister after the 1993 election.

Academically, Kim Campbell was a longtime student of government and politics. She first studied at the University of British Columbia; then moved onwards and upwards to the London School of Ec...

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...ebec in 1989. While many, including feminist groups argue that more could have been done, during her time in office, others like to believe that if it had not been for her being a woman, nothing would have been done. Credit must be given to Kim Campbell for taking chances and showing enormous ambition, in order to better herself, but also women in general throughout Canada.

Works Consulted

Bueckert, Dennis., Kim Campbell: Above the Shoulders Voyageur Publishing: Quebec, 1993.

Campbell, Kim., Time and Change Doubleday Canada Limited: Toronto, 1996.

Davey, Frank., Reading "Kim" Right Talton Books: Vancouver, 1993.

Dobbin, Murray., The Politics of Kim Campbell: From School Trustee to Prime Minister James

Lorimer & Company Publishers: Toronto, 1993

Fife, Robert., Kim Campbell: The Making of a Politician Harper Collins Publishers: Toronto,

1993.