Each year the Rosemary Brown Award for women honours a BC woman or BC based organization that promotes the values and ideals that Rosemary Brown Championed during her lifetime. Those values and ideals should be reflected by demonstrating exceptional qualities or achievements in one of the following selected areas or themes:  Children's Rights, Women in Labour, Human Rights, Political Activism or Women in Politics, Social Justice and Community Development, International Development,  and Women's Equality Issues

Rosemary Brown

Rosemary Brown was an inspiring Canadian Woman who greatly influenced and affected the global agenda towards equality and justice for all. Throughout her life, Rosemary worked to break down social economic and political barriers in the hope of achieving a world where all could be equal in dignity, self respect and human rights.

Her quest for equality was directed in a variety of areas characterized as follows: Children's Rights, Women in Labour, Human Rights, Political Activism or Women in Politics, Social Justice and Community Development, International Development,  and Women's Equality Issues. Regardless of the areas she focused on, Rosemary always acted with a strong sense of social democratic ideals and she constantly questioned the status quo.

She was bestowed with 16 honorary Doctorates from Canadian Universities and was a member of the Privy Council, the Order of Canada, the Order of BC and the Order of Jamaica. She was also the first black woman to be elected to a Canadian legislature and she was the first woman to run for leadership of the federal New Democratic Party.  She served as the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and she served on numerous Boards and Committees that were committed to equality principles.