Exhibitions
Current exhibitions
Women Against Imperialism: Exploring Feminist Resistance to War, Occupation, and Apartheid
This exhibit examines records from organizations and individuals in our collections who have struggled against the encroachment of Western militarism and its historic violence against women and racialized people around the world. In addition to their analyses of imperialist violence, many feminists struggled against war, occupation, apartheid, racism, resource extraction, and the exploitation of Third World women’s labour, while promoting radical pathways for international peace, divestment, and disarmament. At the same time, Canadian women’s organizations have often suppressed anti-imperialist voices and critique. Ultimately, the records featured in this exhibit illustrate the feminist movement’s internal divide between those who wanted to focus solely on women’s issues in North America, and those who sought to act in solidarity with women’s struggles against Western military violence on other continents. They also show an internal divide among anti-war groups, between those who condemned all forms of violence and those who believed revolutionary violence was justified.
Also available is a downloadable course packet including citation guides, small group activities and discussion questions for use in the classroom.
Rightfully Hers: An Archival History of The National Association of Women and the Law
This year, in partnership with The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL), The University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections celebrates NAWL’s 50th anniversary by delving into the organization’s history through a 5-part digital exhibit, including their landmark achievements, legal interventions, organizational challenges, and their undeniable impact on Canadian society. Click the following exhibit links to learn aboutthe Founding of NAWL, and their work on various cases and issues including Women and Work, Violence Against Women, Reproductive Justice, and Marriage Equality.
Witch, Who Are You?
On-site and virtual exhibition
This exhibit explores historical narratives relating to women and witchcraft. Highlighted by material from the Archives and Special Collections, this history spans rare books to recently digitalized audio recordings, from the 15th to 21st centuries.
Women & Politics : Political Activism for Gender Equality, 1960-2000
Using multimedia archives from the University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections, this exhibit highlights just a few of women's many individual and collective political acts of courage and organizing that took place in the latter half of the 20th century in Canada. From the radical tactics of the abortion caravan to ad hoc organizing for gender equality in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the exhibit touches on political acts that improved women's status, also highlighting relevant contemporary legislation and legal cases through feminist documentary heritage.
Our Bodies, Our Stories
On-site and virtual exhibition
Reproductive justice is about having complete control over the decisions we make about our reproductive and sexual well-being, and it is foundational to gender equality. Using select records and items from the late 1960s to the early 1990s held at the University of Ottawa’s Archives and Special Collections, this exhibit offers an introduction to select topics in the evolving history of reproductive justice in Canada.
Women at Work
On-site and virtual exhibition
Celebrating a history of women at work, this exhibit features samples of rare books and archival documents from the Archives and Special Collections. Together they testify women’s resilience across the centuries in labouring at both paid and under-valued work, and at breaking with traditional concepts of gendered occupations.
The Pro-Choice Movement In Canada
On-site and virtual exhibition
This exhibit invites you to contemplate Canadian pro-choice protesters’ use of militant direct action and civil disobedience since May 1970. Using material from the Canadian Women’s Movement collection, the exhibit narrates the struggle for safe and legal abortion in Canada, including documents and photographs related to major players such as the Vancouver Women’s Caucus, the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, and Dr. Henry Morgentaler.
The Forgotten Struggle : Feminist Perspective on Aging
Virtual exhibition
From the mid-1970s, as female concern about aging grew, activists of all ages began to speak up and take action. Meet the women who fought age- and gender- based discrimination within this virtual exploration from the University of Ottawa’s women’s archives.
Montreal Health Press' First Birth Control Handbooks
Virtual exhibition
This exhibit provides a snapshot of the late 1960s' socio-political contexts that led a handful of McGill University students to illegally publish and disseminate millions of copies of handbooks on contraception. The exhibit follows the students' subsequent founding of the Montreal Health Press collective.
Women's Archives. Explore our collections!
Virtual exhibition
This exhibit invites you to discover key events in the Canadian women's movement, from 1960-2000, using archival documents from the University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections.
Drafting equality: Women and the Constitution
Virtual exhibition
This virtual exhibit examines how women, both individually and collectively, came to the forefront during Canada’s patriation of the Constitution to enshrine one facet of citizen rights within the national Charter document.
