Flora MacDonald (politician)
Flora MacDonald was a notable Canadian politician and human rights activist, recognized as the first female secretary of state in Canadian history and one of the first women globally to hold such a position. Born on June 3, 1926, in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, she was a sixth-generation Canadian, educated at Empire Business College and the National Defence College. MacDonald served as a Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands from 1972 to 1988, representing the Progressive Conservative Party. Her political career included significant roles, such as the first woman to vie for party leadership in 1976 and later appointments as secretary of state for external affairs, and as minister of employment and immigration, and minister of communications.
After her political service, MacDonald dedicated herself to international human rights advocacy, working with organizations like Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders, and founding Future Generations to support rural Afghan communities. Her contributions to international relations earned her numerous accolades, including the Pearson Peace Medal and honors from the Order of Canada. MacDonald passed away on July 26, 2015, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer for women in politics and a champion for global human rights. Her life story was later chronicled in a 2021 book titled "Flora!: A Woman in a Man's World."
Subject Terms
Flora MacDonald (politician)
Politician
- Born: June 3, 1926
- Place of Birth: North Sydney, Nova Scotia
- Died: July 26, 2015
- Place of Death: Ottawa, Ontario
Contribution: Politician Flora MacDonald, who served in the House of Commons from 1972 until 1988, was the first female secretary of state in Canadian history and one of the first women to hold such an appointment worldwide. An international human rights activist, she is considered a pioneer among women in Canadian politics.
Early Life and Education
Flora Isabel MacDonald was born on June 3, 1926, in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Her family came to Canada from Scotland in the late eighteenth century, making her a sixth-generation Canadian. She graduated from Empire Business College and the National Defence College, where she focused on Canadian and international studies.
Political Career
From 1972 to 1988, MacDonald served as a member of the House of Commons for Kingston and the Islands, Ontario, as a representative of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. In 1976, she was the first woman to make a major (though unsuccessful) bid for leadership of the party. In 1979, MacDonald was appointed secretary of state for external affairs by Prime Minister Joe Clark. She later served in two additional cabinet posts, as minister of employment and immigration from 1984 to 1986 and minister of communications from 1986 to 1988.
After leaving office, MacDonald became active in international human rights and development advocacy work, first as a visiting fellow at the Centre for Canadian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland. She became chairperson of the board of the International Development Research Centre in 1992 and worked as part of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, which was created in 1994. She founded Future Generations, an organization that assists rural Afghan communities in the areas of health, education, and the environment. Her work with Future Generations was the subject of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) news profile.
MacDonald traveled throughout the world, including to India, Afghanistan, Tibet, Peru, and other locations, on behalf of charities such as Oxfam, Future Generations, and Doctors Without Borders. She became a member of the boards of the Canadian Council for Refugees, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (or UNIFEM), and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), among others.
From 1990 to 1994, MacDonald was the host of North South, a weekly television series focusing on stories from the developing world.
Honors and Awards
In 2000, MacDonald was named the twenty-first recipient of the Pearson Peace Medal. The medal, awarded annually by the United Nations Association in Canada, recognizes a Canadian who has made an outstanding contribution to international relations, especially in the areas of mediation, equal rights, and international law.
MacDonald was also named to the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia, and was the recipient of the Churchill Society Award for Excellence in the Cause of Parliamentary Democracy, which honors those who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of parliamentary democracy. She received honorary degrees from a number of universities, including the University of Edinburgh.
MacDonald died on July 26, 2015, at the age of eighty-nine. The story of her life and career was told in the 2021 book Flora!: A Woman in a Man's World, written by MacDonald and Geoffrey Stevens and published by McGill-Queen's University Press.
Bibliography
Bagnall, J. “Flora MacDonald Finds There’s Plenty of Life after Politics.” Gazette [Montreal]. CanWest MediaWorks, 1 Aug. 2007. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
Dove, Sharon. “Flora MacDonald—Trailblazer for Women in Politics, Humanitarian, and Champion of Human Rights.” Ezine Articles. SparkNET, 5 May 2010. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
"First Lady: The Incomparable Flora MacDonald." Literary Review, April 2022, reviewcanada.ca/magazine/2022/04/first-lady/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
"Flora MacDonald, Longtime Politician, Dead at 89." CBC News, 26 July 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/flora-macdonald-longtime-politician-dead-at-89-1.3168239. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
“The Honourable Flora MacDonald.” United Nations Association in Canada. United Nations Association in Canada, 2000. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
“MacDonald, The Hon. Flora Isabel, PC, CC, OOnt, ONS.” Parliament of Canada. Library of Parliament, n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
MacDonald, Flora. “On War, Foreign Policy and Afghanistan.” Interview. Diplomat Magazine. Diplomat Magazine, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
MacNeil, Carol. “Flora’s Mission.” CBC. CBC, 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.