What if you no longer count as a person? You would be deprived of many rights and freedoms that we take for granted today. This was the situation women faced in the past. Before 1929, women did not count as “persons.” Although they were not deprived of all their rights, women were not allowed to become senators. Five Alberta women decided to take action and formed the Famous Five. The Famous Five fought for women's rights by winning the Persons Case and it is because of them that women are considered persons today. The Famous Five are significant figures in Canadian history and established many of our rights. The Famous Five are Emily Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Irene Parbly. They are best known for winning the Persons Case, but the Famous Five also contributed to the creation of libraries, traveling health clinics, distance learning, maternal allowance, equality citizenship of mothers and fathers and prison reform. The Famous Five have made many important contributions to Canada. The Famous Five are best known for winning the “persons” case. The Persons Case began with Emily Murphy's desire to become Canada's first female senator. She was supported by the Federated Women's Institute and the National Council of Women. Additionally, more than 500,000 people wrote letters and signed petitions in support of Murphy's appointment as senator (Alberta Online Encyclopedia, 2004). However, then-Prime Minister Robert Borden refused to appoint Murphy to the Senate because women were not "persons." Two other prime ministers, Meighen and Mackenzie, both promised to make changes to the British North America Act to include women as persons, but they failed to do so. . Frustrated Emily Murphy... middle of paper ... While the Persons Case gave women more rights, it still didn't mean everyone was treated fairly. Some women still could not vote because of their race. Additionally, after Wilson's appointment to the Senate, the government appointed only a few women senators. For example, during his 18 years in office, Prime Minister Mackenzie King appointed 67 senators. None of them were women. (T. Tyler, 2007). This shows that winning the Persons Case does not mean that women have always been treated equally. The Persons Case gave women more rights and equality. This allowed women to contribute more to society and become politically involved. The fact that a third of the members of the Canadian Senate are women shows the influence of the Persons Case on our society. Although women were not always treated equally after the Persons Case, it gave them many opportunities that they did not have before..