Mary O'Brien

Life Mary Mamie O'Brien was born on 8 July 1926 in Walmer, Kent. Unable to take care of her children, her mother took Mary and her brother to Glasgow at the age of four, where they were raised by three aunts. According to The Women's Review of Books obituary, "Mary always said she was English by birth, Irish by name and Scottish by choice; later, she became a Canadian by choice." She was a keen activist in the Labour Party but found her idealism shattered by the twin events of 1956: the Suez Crisis and the Soviet invasion of Hungary. where she first worked as a nurse and then completed graduate work in political philosophy.

O'Brien died on 19 October 1998 in her sleep from a heart attack at the age of 72 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

The party was launched at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education on 10 June 1979. Mary O'Brien and Angela Miles were keynote speakers at the launch event.

The Feminist Party of Canada emerged from a series of meetings held in the early months of 1979. Its formation was driven by the goal of enhancing women's involvement in the political system. The F.P.C. describes itself as "an integral part of the Women's Movement, with our policies, processes, and organizational structure reflecting the values and objectives of that movement." The F.P.C. asserts that, historically, women have been placed in a subordinate position. Women have carried the responsibility of making communities more humane. Since the political system is the mechanism through which members of a community—and by extension, society—are safeguarded, women must have a role in politics. If they are not adequately represented, it is incumbent upon women to enact the necessary changes.