October was the 30th anniversary of Women’s History Month, and CFB Kingston wants to highlight the many contributions of women in the Canadian Armed Forces. It would be impossible for the CAF to accomplish what it has as an institution without the women who have served and championed for positive change.
Canada has always had women supporting and participating in its military throughout history. In October of 1899, the first four nursing sisters sailed to South Africa to support the volunteers fighting in the Boer War leading to the creation of the Canadian Army Nursing Service. This initial sail helped open the field for women to serve as nurses in dangerous conditions. Namely, in World War One, World War Two, and the Korean War, nursing sisters served in front line hospitals, aboard hospital ships, and in field ambulance units.
While the development of the women’s divisions in World War Two created another avenue for women to serve, it was not until 1965 that they were able to be integrated into mixed gender units. However, the number of women in uniform was limited to 1500 members, and women were still not yet eligible for all roles in the CAF such as trades in the combat arms. This limit was lifted in 1989 due to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canadian Human Rights Commission.
This change allowed Private Heather Erxleben to become the first Regular Force infantry solider and allowed Majors Dee Brasseur and Jane Foster become the first two women to pilot a CF-18 Hornet. Many more women would follow in their footsteps. Now, women are able to serve in all trades within the CAF. They represent 15% of the personnel employed by the military, including over 7,900 in the regular force and 4,800 reserve members.
CFB Kingston is proud to have a Defense Team with strong female representation, whose roles are critical here on base. Diversity in the workforce allows for new opinions, ideas, and skillsets to be shared, increasing the effectiveness of the unit as a whole. Thanks to our female counterparts, CFB Kingston remains #StrongProudReady!