Human Rights A Day

Canadian women take gold at first Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships. Given the popularity of women’s ice hockey today, it’s hard to believe that prior to 1990, it had a very low profile. Not until March 19, 1990 did the International Ice Hockey Association open a World Championship to women. On that date, Ottawa played host for three days to nine teams from Canada, the United States, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, West Germany and Japan. Canada clinched gold, the U.S. took silver, and the Fins claimed the bronze. Canada’s women players maintained their gold winning streak in every World Championships to follow through 2004. This level of women’s hockey lead to even greater heights. In 1997 there was great excitement among female hockey players when the International Olympic Committee ruled the top five women’s teams in the sport’s World Championships would become the qualifiers for the Olympics in Nagano, Japan the following year. They’d be the first women Olympic hockey players in history. So, on