The Early 1900s: A Turning Point For Women In Canada
The years between 1914 and 1929 were quite possibly some of the most influential and significant throughout the entire 1900s, especially when it came to changing women’s rights.
Pre-World War One, women were treated like they had no worth. They were homeowners, caretakers, nannies, child-bearers. Basically, that was all that men thought they were good for. However, circa-1900, everything changed. First, they were given more responsibility during the war. Then, as their responsibilities increased, more rights were given to them as well. Then finally, when they had proven that they could handle these rights and responsibilities, they won their fight to be recognized as “persons.”
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Copy this link for an interactive map time-travelling across Canada to watch how Women's Suffrage evolved throughout history!
https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/timeline-womens-suffrage-canada
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During the first World War, women were allowed to take on men’s jobs while husbands and sons were fighting.(1) Their capability shocked men, as it was stated, “In general, women did very well, surprising men with their ability to undertake heavy work and with their efficiency. By the middle of the war they were already regarded as a force to be proud of.”(2)
Because they had proven that they could handle the responsibility, many more women began to be allowed to train and work in medicine and education so they could learn how to save lives during the war.(3)
Of course, once women had the taste of the working lifestyle, they didn’t want things to go back to the way they were before. In taking paid jobs outside their homes for the first time, working women felt independence in being the provider for their families.(4) They were better paid(5) and were given opportunities they’d never had before.
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In addition to that, during the early 1900s women won the right to vote everywhere across Canada! From 1900 on, women had already been permitted to vote municipally.(6)
Now, a large number of men in Canada, including politicians, did support women pining for the right to vote. In fact, a huge part of Liberal leader T.C. Norris’s campaign was that if he became Premier of Manitoba during the 1915 election, he would give women the right to vote provincially.(7)
Of course, it was thanks to Nellie McClung that women have the right to vote provincially at all, as she was the first one to officially win women the vote.
So, between January 28th, 1916 and April 13th, 1925, every province, (with the exception of Quebec), from Manitoba to Newfoundland and Labrador, had officially given women the right to vote provincially.(8)
Then, the Military Voters Act in 1917 allowed both women assisting in the army, and those who had family members serving abroad, to vote in the federal election.(9) Not wanting to give up that right once the men returned home, women petitioned to keep voting post-World War One, and as of January 1st, 1919, women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote federally!(10) Since people thought that no vote meant no voice which meant no say in anything, once this right was won, finally women had a say in both political and everyday matters.
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Finally, the “Famous Five” fought to - and succeeded in - giving women recognition as “persons,” which would create more equality between them and men, whether it be to vote, to work in certain professions, to even out pay wages, and so on.
In 1929, the case of these five women (Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby),(11) called the “Persons Case,” was passed by the British Privy Council.(12) Their argument was that when Parliament defined the term “person,” they never outright excluded women. They figured that since women were never explicitly excluded, they should be included in the definition “persons.”(13) The British Privy Council agreed, and so from 1929 on, women were officially given the title - and the rights - of “persons!”(14) Finally, they could be respected and treated as equals by everyone.
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Therefore, from being given responsibilities and rights to changing the entire definition of “persons” to include them, the years of World War One and the Roaring Twenties that followed were a huge turning point for women in history!
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1."Women's Roles on the Home Front." BBC News. January 19, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/26439020.
2. Martin, Sarah. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. August 22, 2009. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/womenww1_four.htm.
3."Women's Roles on the Home Front." BBC News. January 19, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/26439020.
4. "Women's Roles on the Home Front." BBC News. January 19, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/26439020.
5. "Women's Roles on the Home Front." BBC News. January 19, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/26439020.
6."Women Get the Vote." CBCnews. 2001. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP11CH4PA5LE.html.
7. "Women Get the Vote." CBCnews. 2001. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP11CH4PA5LE.html.
8. "100th Anniversary of Women's First Right to Vote in Canada." Government of Canada. January 14, 2016. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1450463353743.
9. "Women Get the Vote 1916-1919." Canada: A Country by Consent. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://canadahistoryproject.ca/1914/1914-08-women-vote.html.
10. "Women Get the Vote 1916-1919." Canada: A Country by Consent. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://canadahistoryproject.ca/1914/1914-08-women-vote.html.
11. Leonard, Donna. "The Women." Famou5. 2016. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.famou5.ca/the-famous-five-women/.
12. Jill McCaw. "The Persons Case." The Persons Case. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.histori.ca/peace/page.do?pageID=276.
13. Jill McCaw. "The Persons Case." The Persons Case. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.histori.ca/peace/page.do?pageID=276.
14. Jill McCaw. "The Persons Case." The Persons Case. Accessed October 27, 2016. http://www.histori.ca/peace/page.do?pageID=276.
