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Nellie McClung stages a mock "Women's Parliament" within the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg to debate whether men should have the right to vote. To mock Parliament Nellie, used humour to show the unfairness of not allowing women to vote. Source: Hallett, Mary E. “Nellie McClung.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Mary E. Hallett, 1 Apr. 2008, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nellie-letitia-mcclung.
Heritage Minutes Nellie McClung Video: https://youtu.be/SdbG6EIHrbs -
When Great Britain announced they were going to war with Germany, they immediately included Canada as their allies, since Canada was under British rule. Image Source: Nicolacrews. “Britain Declares War.” The Iron Room, Archives and Collections @ the Library of Birmingham, 3 Aug. 2014, theironroom.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/britain-declares-war/. -
In World War I, women were not allowed to enlist as soldiers, sailors, or pilots. Although, about 1000 women signed onto drive ambulances and took on other jobs with the Red Cross. However, the role of women during the war was predominantly nursing. The image and news of nurses working hard on the front line and sacrificing their lives helped change the stereotype of women as fragile, helpless creatures. -
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The Battle of Ypres was a significant decline for Canada and Canadians. During the battle many First Nations and Canadian lives were lost.
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Women were encouraged to temporarily enter the workforce to replace and free up men for military duty. When mothers began to work, it added more pressure on them because they had to take care of the home and work. Even more so, women were working for long hours with little pay. -
After a significant quantity of lives lost, men's enthusiasm began to adrift in joining the militia. Due to the decrease of males joining the army, Borden legislated The Military Service Act, making military service mandatory for Canadian men between 20 and 45.
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Parliament passed the Wartime Elections Act on September 20, 1917. This Federal vote had proceeded to women within the militia, and female relatives of military men, while disenfranchising citizens of "enemy alien" birth.
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The Dominion Elections Act states Negroid and Caucasian women have the right to vote. This Act extended towards women being able to be elected into Parliament permanently.
Source: Civilization.ca - History of the Vote - Chronicle, A Spotlight on 1920-1997, Canadian Museum of History, 1 Jan. 2016, www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/elections/el_036_e.html. -
Emily Murphy was the first female judge in Alberta and Canada. She constructed the group Famous Five from Alberta who challenged an element of the Constitution that had prevented women from being appointed to the Senate. Emily Murphy was also one amongst the Famous Five behind the Persons Case, the successful campaign to declare women as persons within the eyes of British law.
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Five weeks later, the Supreme Court reached a verdict in Edwards v Canada, the official name of the case. Its conclusion? Under Canadian law, women were not considered persons. The Famous five took their appeal to the Judicial Committee of the council in London, England. On October 18, 1929, Canada Supreme Court was overruled, clearing the way for females to serve on public bodies, including the Senate. Heritage Minutes Video Emily Murphy: https://youtu.be/njAO38Og1-k
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While the government resisted pressure to commission women to the Senate, arguing the British North America Act (Constitution Act, 1867) didn’t recognize women as qualified persons. The act used the word persons within the plural sense. Although, when it named a particular person, it used the word he. The attitude given: men were the sole qualified persons assigned to the Senate. Asked the Supreme Court of Canada whether nation North America Act’s included women in its definition of persons.
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