Canadians are long used to having at least one prominent woman on our money – Queen Elizabeth II – but the monarch could soon be joined by another woman. Just who exactly is yet to be determined. Advocates have long called for the huge contribution made to Canada by women to be recognised on banknotes. Although the Queen has been on our currency for over 50 years advocates are quick to point out that she is not Canadian, and could soon be replaced by her heir apparent, likely a man (i.e. Price Charles).
Celebrating Women
Earlier this month Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has made gender equality a defining aspect of his cabinet (which is split evenly between men and women), announced that a woman will appear on the next set of banknotes to be released in 2018. The announcement was made on International Women’s Day, a day which has been held for over one hundred years now and is intended to celebrate women and draw attention to the issues which affect them.
The Criteria
The Bank of Canada will be accepting nominations from now until April 15th on the Banks official website (http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknoteable/). Although Canada is not lacking in great Canadian women, the field will be narrowed down by the Bank’s nomination criteria. All nominees must be “Canadian (by birth or naturalization)” and they must have exhibited “outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada, or in the service of Canada.” Fictional characters will not be considered, and all nominees must “have been deceased for at least 25 years.”
How it’ll be Chosen
All nominees will then be “reviewed by an independent Advisory Council composed of eminent Canadian academic, cultural and thought leaders” who will narrow down the nominations to 10 to 12 names. That list will then be made public on the Bank of Canada’s website and “A formal public opinion survey will follow to gauge the views of a representative sample of Canadians.” Then a short list of 3-5 nominees will be named by the Advisory Council, following input from historical experts. Finally the Bank of Canada will “consult with the Minister of Finance on the short list” who will then make the final decision.
For more on Canadian women on banknotes, including a look at some of the prospective nominees, check out our new post HERE.
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