Long-time women's health advocate and  the Canadian Women's Health Network founding Executive Director, Madeline Boscoe, was awarded the Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case.
 
For over 30 years, Madeline Boscoe has been a voice for Canadian women's health as a public health nurse, a researcher, an educator and an advocate.
 
Madeline's work has touched women's lives in Winnipeg and across the country. Among her many accomplishments, she co-ordinated provincial consultations on the renewal of Manitoba's Women's Health Strategy, was a member of the Health Canada Expert Advisory Panel on Breast Implants, and was appointed co-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Assisted Human Reproduction. She has pushed for better access to reproductive care and emergency contraception, efforts that helped make Plan B available over the counter to Canadian women.
 
Madeline was instrumental in helping expand birthing options for Manitoba women by helping bring legalized midwifery to the province, and leading the development of a new birth centre for the Women's Health Clinic. Her gift for bringing together people across the country has left a legacy of strengthened research in women's health.
 
In 2005 her tireless commitment to women's health was recognized by the University of Ottawa with an honorary doctorate. Madeline was a co-founder of the Canadian Women's Health Network and served as its Executive Director for over a decade. She was Advocacy and Special Projects Coordinator at the Women's Health Clinic for more than twenty years and recently moved on to work with marginalized communities as Executive Director of the Reach Community Health Centre in Vancouver.
 
About the Award:
Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case recognize outstanding contributions to advance equality for women in Canada. The Awards are presented annually at a ceremony in October. Recipients of these Awards continue the tradition of courage, integrity and hard work which the Famous Five of the Persons Case inspired. Five awards are given annually to candidates chosen from across Canada, in addition to one Youth award.