Women’s Committee

The Hilda Ramsay Fund

Hilda Ramsay made history when she became the first woman ever to campaign for elections to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in 1951. A resident of Indian River, she stood for the CFF – Cooperative Commonwealth Federation – in the electoral district of 3rd Prince. (The CFF was succeeded by the NDP)

The Hilda Ramsay Fund (HRF) was created to encourage Island women to run as NDP PEI candidates. The fund assists with campaign expenses and supplements fundraising efforts. The objective is to disburse up to $1,000 to each female candidate who runs a full and active campaign. An active campaign is understood to include public appearances, campaign materials, signage, debates when/where appropriate, and being available for media interviews.

Every other year HRF holds a fundraising dinner with high profile women speakers. The next event is scheduled for June, 2026.

In 2019, 18.5% of MLAs in the PEI legislature are women. The HRF seeks to redress this imbalance. According to the PEI Coalition for Women in Government “The problem does not lie with electing women, it lies with getting women’s names on the ballot.”

For more info on the Hilda Ramsay Fund contact NDP PEI at info@ndppei-2026  or 902 892-1930

Hilda Ramsay Fund

The NDP PEI Women’s Ctte has a $500 bursary for a woman studying at UPEI or Holland College. The Hilda Ramsay Bursary is granted annually to a female identified student who has a demonstrated ability in social activism. Hilda Ramsay was the first woman to run for the provincial legislature. In 2019 the NDP PEI Women’s Ctte established the Bursary to encourage activist women on the Island. Funds for this bursary were raised at a June event with President of the Canadian Labour Congress, Bea Bruske as guest speaker.

Deadline for this year’s award is November 1, 2026

Please submit the following documents with the completed application form:

  1. A copy of enrollment to Holland College or UPEI (and/or MUN for PEI medical school students).
  2. A statement of your financial situation
  3. A personal statement of 250 words or less to demonstrate your interest in social justice, women/diversity studies, Indigenous, environmental studies, or political studies. You can include career goals too.

Additionally, you can send your submission to:
81 Prince Street
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 4R3

DECLARATION: I declare that the information I have provided on this application is true and complete.

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