October is recognized as Women’s History Month in Canada, in order to align with Persons Day on the 18th, which is the day that women were given legal recognition as “persons” not so long ago. This legal change came about in 1929, after the then highest court of appeal in the country ruled in favour of a challenge from a group of female activists, collectively known as the Famous Five. This ruling made it possible for women to be appointed to the Senate, and therefore become more involved in politics.

This historic verdict came 45 years after women were first allowed to attend the University of Toronto. Since then, the university has had many notable female graduates, including Clara Brett Martin, the first female lawyer in the British Empire; Roberta Bondar, the first female Canadian astronaut; and musicians such as renowned opera singer, Measha Brueggergosman. However, there are still many areas of the university where women are underrepresented.

Though the overall undergraduate student gender balance is about equal for general enrolment,  and around 60% for most fields of study, this number drops off to about 40% in both the Math and Physical Sciences, and Engineering and Applied Sciences. The reason for this may be the sense of masculinity that has been traditionally associated with areas such as engineering. This is why outreach groups (such as Women in Science and Engineering) and annual events (such as the Young Women in Engineering Symposium) are working to restore the balance by encouraging young women to study in these fields.

A prominent factor in this gender imbalance among students is the even greater imbalance within the faculty. In the 2014-15 school year, only 17% of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering were women, the lowest percentage of all the faculties at U of T. Overall, female faculty at the university make up only 35% of the total. This has a subtle but significant impact on female students, who have a hard time seeing themselves represented in the classroom environment. It can be especially isolating for queer women and women of colour, who are already underrepresented.

Outside of academics, U of T has endeavoured to be a more inclusive space for women of different backgrounds, and offers resources such as The Centre for Women and Trans People, which is housed in North Borden. In an effort to curb the rates of sexual violence and harassment in recent years, there has also been a drive to implement and promote a consent culture at the university, through the establishment in 2017 of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre, and through education to incoming undergraduates during Orientation Week.

It is undeniable that U of T has made huge strides towards gender equality since its establishment nearly 200 years ago, but there remain many areas of imbalance within the community. The hope is that by the time the next Persons Day rolls around, we can be a few steps closer to resolving them.