ipl-logo

Feminism In Canada

783 Words4 Pages

In Canada, the first wave of feminism began in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was led by middle and upper class women, mostly by wealthy white women. Before this time, women were not seen as people under the law. They were legally barred from homesteading, and were forced to leave the farm if their husbands died. Until 1945, women were also unable to seek divorce, though men could in the case of adultery. In these cases, the divorced women had no right to the children or to their property. Women had to surrender all of their property to their husbands when they got married, and if they married a non-Canadian, they were forced to surrender their citizenship. This movement was not a very inclusive one, and though it did win women the …show more content…

The first province to allow women to vote was Manitoba in 1916. Saskatchewan and Alberta followed later that year. The next year, Ontario and British Columbia granted the women in their provinces the right to vote. However, these were all only provincial votes. Women were still unable to vote federally at this time. In 1918, the Federal Women’s Franchise Act allowed women over twenty-one to vote in federal elections, as long as they were British subjects. The same year, Nova Scotia also gave women the right to vote provincially. In 1920, the Dominion Elections Act allowed women to run for Parliament. This was quite a ground-breaking act. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland granted women the right to vote in the years 1919, 1922, and 1925, respectively. Quebec was the last province to allow women provincial suffrage. Quebecois women were not given the right to vote until 1940.
The first wave of feminism was completely revolutionary. It changed everything, it completely shaped the future of Canada. However, the movement never should have needed to happen. Somewhere along the line of history, it was decided that women were to worth as much, that people of color were not worth as much. This movement was the first attempt to right centuries of wrongs. It was a major step forward, and opened the minds of many to be able to take more. The first wave of feminism, the Persons Case, the Famous Five, the women and events all shaped Canadian history in very important

Show More
Related

  • How Did World War 1 Contribute To Women's Equality In Canada

    853 Words  | 4 Pages

    However, it took an embarrassing amount of time for society to realize that this is such a basic right for any citizen of a free country. After World War 1 the world honoured the sacrifices made by women and provided nurses who served as well as immediate female relatives of veterans the right to vote (Canada and Total War). This was a groundbreaking advancement for the movement of female equality in Canada because it finally put them on the same level as the white privileged men of the country however many people of colour were still denied this basic human right. The first time women were voting in 1917, led to all women being able to vote by 1919 as well as women being able to run for positions in government. Overall, women's voting was a critical part of helping the movement for female equality in

    Read More

  • Essay On The Effects Of Reconstruction On African Americans After The Civil War

    422 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Fifteenth amendment was ratified in March 1870 (encouraged women, particularly Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott/ Women’s Rights Movement/ The Declaration of Sentiments – campaigning for equal rights – not only are women allowed to vote today, some are being elected to public office at all levels of government (example: Hilary Clinton, running as Democratic candidate for nomination in the U.S. presidential election of

    Read More

  • To What Extent Is World War 1 A Period Of Progress For Canada

    457 Words  | 2 Pages

    During war times women were allowed to vote since their husbands were out at war and they needed able voters, even though it was limited, it was still progress. They

    Read More

  • The Role Of Ladies's Suffrage In The United States

    87 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ladies didn 't generally have the privilege to vote since women were viewed as lower than men. They weren 't permitted to vote since they were closed as uninformed. They additionally didn 't know much about legislative issues. To a few women were thought to be a laborer not a voter people felt that they don 't know anything about governmental issues. Subsequent to having a supporter for voting rights on their side like Abigail Adams.

    Read More

  • 19th Amendment And The Bombings Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

    339 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women were granted the right to be just like men. Women were denied many things like jobs, an education, and the right to vote. Activists created the women’s suffrage movement, which helped them achieve their goal of equality and become a more powerful force in the nation. One of the great positives was that women’s right

    Read More

  • Manitoba Women Win Right To Vote Essay

    667 Words  | 3 Pages

    The birth of the first association fighting for women's rights in Canada symbolized the beginning of women's fight for their right to vote. A forum for women to pursue their intellectual interests. A clear goal was set to gain the right to vote. Set the stage for a series of feminist movements that

    Read More

  • Historical Essay: Women's Suffrage In Canada

    1058 Words  | 5 Pages

    Women rights, probably one of the most controversial topics out there alongside race and religion. Many women deemed to be great historical figures and role models, while still being thought of as mere objects by some. But today the attention of women's suffrage will be brought into the light. On a crisp April's day I appear seated in my English class, surrounded by fellow classmates listening.

    Read More

  • Benifits Of The 1920s Essay

    1187 Words  | 5 Pages

    To begin, granting women the right to vote in the 1920s had a profound change in determining the future of Canadian politics. When the Canadian government provided the right to vote for women in the 1920s, a significant milestone was reached, contributing to greater female participation in politics and the public sphere (The Right to Vote in Canada). This allowed women to play a more active role in shaping the policies and laws that affected their daily lives and surrounding communities, leading to a more equal and just society where everyone could voice their opinions. Likewise, when the Canadian government extended the right to run for parliament to women, it had a profound impact on parliament and the political system. Having this right to run for parliament extended to women was a critical moment in Canadian history, as it paved the way for greater female political participation and representation (Women and Politics).

    Read More

  • How Did The Eureka Stockade Affect Australia

    966 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first wave of feminism took place in the late 19th century, they were mainly concerned with gaining the right to vote and stand for parliament. The colonies had started to allow the men’s suffrage halfway through the nineteenth century, though women were not originally included. When Australia reached Federation (1901) it was agreed that women would be allowed the vote. In 1902 women were given the vote in federal elections except if they were of Indigenous Australian, Asian, African or Pacific Islanders descent. The second wave of feminism took place in the 1960s and 1970s, it mainly focused on gaining equality with men in other areas, such as work, law and general social standing.

    Read More

  • The Progressive Era Essay

    1114 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since voting was an issue of the state, women gained the right to vote across various places including Wyoming (1869), Utah (1870), Colorado (1893), and Idaho (1896) (Kennedy, Cohen, Bailey, pg 644). Nevertheless, the 1920 passage and ratification of the nineteenth amendment was a ground-breaking political victory, one in which President Woodrow Wilson gave all American women the right to

    Read More

  • The Canadian Women's Movement

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    General Info: - 19th century= Canadian women organizing to change place in society= equality - The women 's movement = demanded justice. achieved some equality for Canadian women in legal and political ways. - Canadian woman tried to change society for better - Fought for their rights - Previous to WW1: low paying jobs for women - Ended careers once married - National council of women formed in 1893. Helped improved public health, immigrants, factory workers - In 1919 eleven women in Ontario became lawyers - In 1927 first woman engineer graduated U of T Voting/ political: - 1893- national council of women was founded - By 1900- throughout Canada, municipal voting privileges for propertied woman were general - 1918- council contributed to

    Read More

  • Feminist Movement Vs Civil Rights Movement

    835 Words  | 4 Pages

    This showed that they were invisible even in their marriage, The women’s movement promoted the support which eventually resulted in the Married Women’s Property Act. The act states what a married woman can’t and can do in a marriage (Doc 6). Something they must do is to take their husband’s name after marriage. Lucy Stone was an abolitionist and

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Suffrage Movement

    802 Words  | 4 Pages

    I believe that despite all controversial views this event was a huge shift for social change and future breakthrough in this area. For the American feminist movement such impetus was the successful story of the suffrage movement during the First World War, including the adoption of the 19th Amendment. The history of women’s struggle for their rights is very long and sometimes seems endless. “The Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries opened up job opportunities for women, released them from domestic confines and provided them with new social freedoms” (Repetto, 2010,

    Read More

  • Essay On Women's Suffragettes

    1860 Words  | 8 Pages

    Women’s Suffrage Australia, DRAFT Elizabeth Albans Women’s suffrage was one of the first milestones to achieve gender equality. In 1902, the newly established Australian Parliament, passed the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902, which enabled women to vote in the federal election and stand for the federal election. The suffragettes fought for equality, the right to make decisions and argued against the view that women were intellectually inferior to men. However, not everyone agreed with the changes the suffragettes wanted to bring. They argued that women were equal but different, already had indirect power and could not fulfil the duties of a citizen.

    Read More

  • Women's Suffrage Thesis

    1063 Words  | 5 Pages

    And their traditional roles included staying home, rearing children and looking after their families. Women were not granted the right to vote until August 18th 1920 (The 19th Amendment, n.d.). The 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution granted American women the right to vote—a right known as woman suffrage. This was only less than a hundred years ago, while men have been given that right since the beginning

    Read More

More about Feminism In Canada

Open Document