Dorothy Heneker
Dorothy Heneker | |
|---|---|
 Heneker in 1938 | |
| Born | Dorothy Alice Heneker 1886 |
| Died | 1968 (aged 81–82) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Years active | 1930–1968 |
| Spouse | Arthur D. C. Cummins (m. 1952) |
| Relatives | Richard William Heneker (grandfather) |
Dorothy Alice Heneker (1886–1968) was a Canadian lawyer and feminist from Montreal. She was the director of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women from its formation in 1930 until 1936.
Early life and eductation
Dorothy Alice Heneker was born in Montreal in 1886 to Richard and Alice Heneker (née Abbott), and had three siblings.[1] Her father was a lawyer.[2] She studied music and law at University of King's College and McGill University, graduating in 1925 and becoming the first woman to hold both a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Common Law.[3][2]
Career
After university, Heneker spent a few years at a financial house handling women's investments before she joined her father's law firm.[1][2] In 1930, she was appointed the first director of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW). She served until 1936,[4] and later became the vice president of the organisation.[5] During her term as director, she campaigned for women's rights, supporting "the right of all people to work, unhampered by restrictions of sex or social status".[6] In 1931, Heneker travelled to Norway and Sweden to give speeches encouraging Scandinavian participation in the IFBPW.[7] In 1938, she travelled around the United States to discuss and support the status of women in the Assembly of the League of Nations.[5]
Personal life and death
In 1952, Heneker married Royal Navy surgeon commander Arthur D. C. Cummins.[1] She died in 1968.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 Desjardins, Lucie; Fraser, David (1987). "Dorothy Heneker and family fonds". National Archives of Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Moynagh, Maureen; Forestell, Nancy M. (2012). Documenting First Wave Feminisms: Volume II Canada - National and Transnational Contexts. University of Toronto Press. p. 104. ISBN 9780802094148. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ Dagg, Anne Innis (2006). The Feminine Gaze: A Canadian Compendium of Non-Fiction Women Authors and Their Books, 1836-1945. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780889208452. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ↑ Moynagh, Maureen; Forestell, Nancy M. (2012). Documenting First Wave Feminisms: Volume II Canada - National and Transnational Contexts. University of Toronto Press. p. 72. ISBN 9780802094148. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- 1 2 M'Laughlin, Kathleen (23 January 1938). "MISS HENEKER HERE IN WOMEN'S CAUSE; Canadian Attorney Reports on World Survey Planned by League of Nations". New York Times. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ Hobbs, Margaret (1993). "Equality and Difference: Feminism and the Defence of Women Workers During the Great Depression". Labour/Le Travailleur (32): 205. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ Austveg, Victoria C.; Larsen, Eirinn (20 October 2025). "The interwar professional women's movement in Scandinavia". Nordic Transatlantic Crossings. London: Routledge. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-003-68211-0. Retrieved 25 March 2026.