By Sean Graham
As part of our series with the 2025 Shannon Lecture Series, I talk with Sarah Hogenbirk, who will deliver the opening lecture on Monday entitled ‘Fighting for Their Place and Recognition: Canadian Servicewomen and Women Veterans in Post-Second World War Canada. The lecture will serve as a launch for Cold War Workers: Labour, Family, and Community in a Nuclear State, in which Sarah has a chapter entitled “Constructing the Military Career Woman, 1950s-60s.” We discuss the legacy of women’s Second World War service, how the Cold War impacted women’s service, and the differences between the three armed services. We also chat about the roles in which women served, the differences in service pre- and post-unification, and the long-term impact of the Cold War era on women’s service in the Canadian military.
Historical Headline of the Week
RAdm Jennifer Bennett, “Leading as a Woman in the Canadian Forces,” The Lookout, October 15, 2012.
Sean Graham is a cultural historian, an Adjunct Professor at Carleton University, and a contributing editor with Activehistory.ca
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