While she rose higher than any woman had before her in Canadian law, Madam Justice Mabel Margaret Van Camp never forgot where she came from. She leaves a sister, Jessie Gunter, six nieces and nephews and nine great-nieces and nephews. She put all 15 of the youngsters through school.
Great obituary for an amazing woman — Ontario’s first female Supreme Court justice, Mabel Van Camp.
I know I’m jumping to conclusions, but it saddens me that an influential, ground-breaking woman like this dies unmarried and childless. Yes, I’m too young to start whining about that sort of future but I’ve felt lately like I’ve been one of those people who have consistently put career as first priority. I’ve not lost any love over it (not directly anyhow) but I wonder if that’s a fate some of us (ambitious career-driven folk) eventually end up accepting? Hope not.
Serendipity Now 
August 10, 2012 at 8:12 AM |
This is a subject I think is fascinating and important for everyone to be thinking about. Two points of view from people who have achieved great things that have been swirling through my head recently are:
Sheryl Sandberg’s TED Talk on “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders” challenges the way some women might need to adjust their behaviour in order to move into leadership
and “Why Women Can’t Have It All” in the Atlantic Magazine by Anne Marie Slaughter challenges some assumptions about what women need to do in order to “have it all”, including Sandberg’s.
It is something I see in workplaces everywhere as I see people move into different career and family stages. And it is not a solved problem, by any means.
August 10, 2012 at 8:15 AM |
I should have added links:
Ted Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders.html
The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-can-8217-t-have-it-all/9020/?single_page=true
August 10, 2012 at 9:30 AM |
Started to read the Women can’t have it all article. It rings true to me. Will read it all later