“Patriarchy … Always Plays a Role”: Gender, Politics, and the Lewis Family

Abstract

The story of the Lewis family is generally told from the perspective of men: David, Stephen, and Avi; this article reorients the traditional narrative to examine the often overlooked and undervalued contributions of the women to the institutional and extra-parliamentary left in Canada. It demonstrates that, despite the barriers imposed by a patriarchal system, Sophie Lewis helped develop both the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and New Democratic Party (NDP); daughter Janet (Solberg) organized much of the Ontario wing and numerous successful election campaigns; daughter-in-law Michele (Landsberg) forced social democrats (and many others) to grapple with gender inequality; and granddaughters Ilana (Landsberg-Lewis), Jenny, and Naomi (Klein) continue to fight publicly for social justice around the world. It argues that these women, and many others, deserve recognition for their important work in Canadian politics and society.