Former federal minister Monique Bégin, one of the first three women from Quebec to be elected to the House of Commons, died on Friday at the age of 87.

A statement issued in her memory on Saturday said that Bégin died in Ottawa, surrounded by family and friends, after receiving palliative care.

Before entering the House of Commons, Bégin forged her reputation as a leading figure in the feminist movement in Quebec.

In 1966, she signed the founding charter of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, of which she was the first vice-president. The following year, she was appointed Secretary General of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, whose report, published in 1970, remains important to this day.

In 1972, Bégin entered Parliament in Ottawa as the Member for Saint-Michel for Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Liberal Party of Canada.

During her time in government, she successively held the portfolios of National Revenue, and National Health and Welfare.

It was the passionate sociologist in her who created the child tax credit. She championed legislation to increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Her greatest achievement was the unanimous adoption by Parliament of the Canada Health Act in 1984, thereby strengthening the universality and accessibility of the Canadian health system', says the press release issued in her memory.

After her years in politics, Bégin enjoyed a prolific career in university teaching, notably at the University of Ottawa.

In 1998, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, in particular for having "influenced the development of applied social sciences at the national level, especially in the fields of health and education."

Last year, the Order of Canada promoted her to the rank of companion, in recognition of her "decisive contribution to a number of causes, including respect for human rights and improving the quality of life of disadvantaged and marginalized communities both in Canada and abroad."

"She remains a source of inspiration for generations of leaders, particularly women, who can now occupy a wider range of senior management positions in government and academia thanks to her activism," said the Order of Canada on its page dedicated to Monique Bégin.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 9, 2023.