History of women in the Red Cross
10th anniversary event in Ottawa.
Women have played an essential role in the Canadian Red Cross’ long history. Today, after more than 100 years, their implication continues to be central to our work.
World War II & After
During World War II and after, 15,000 women were recruited to form a volunteer service group known as The Canadian Red Cross Corps. Thousands of women from across Canada mobilized to serve in four divisions. They each had a specific role and a distinctive uniform.
A special Overseas Detachment of 641 brave women crossed the Atlantic to serve overseas during and after World War II. They drove ambulances, supported patients and assisted staff in military hospitals. Courageous, strong and perhaps ahead of their time, they carried with them the strength and good wishes of many women who could not leave home
Those who stayed behind mobilized to make bandages, sew surgical gowns, and assemble food parcels for shipment overseas. These food packages were lifelines to prisoners of war who had no contact with the outside world.
Between 1945 and 1947, a delegation of 58 Corps volunteers escorted nearly 45,000 war brides and their 21,000 children on their transatlantic journey to Canada. This was the largest mass migration of women and children in Canadian history.
The historic stained-glass windows in the Board of Governors Hall at the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Modern Era & the Tiffany Circle
Today, the leadership of women within the Canadian Red Cross continues to grow. Hundreds of women choose to work, volunteer and fundraise for our organization. One important group of women within the Canadian Red Cross is the Tiffany Circle.
The Canadian Tiffany Circle was officially launched in September 2011. Mrs. Laureen Harper was the inaugural Honorary Chair—and since then, it has continued to gather momentum. Members now live across Canada and bring unique perspectives to the group.
The Tiffany Circle’s name refers to historic stained glass windows at the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, DC. These windows date back to 1917, when they were commissioned from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios and jointly purchased by the Women’s Relief Corps of the North and the United Daughters of the Confederacy of the South. This purchase was meant as an act of reconciliation and hope at the time—and it inspired the launch of the inaugural American chapter of the Tiffany Circle in 2006.