Canadian Women Today & Progress Still Needed

My teacher told me that it has been said that Canadian women are freest in the world, even among the countries that are wealthy and democratic. The reason for this should be quite obvious if one stops and thinks about it for a moment. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enacted in 1982, therefore women's rights were included. Canada's charter was developed later than most countries so women were provided for. In earliest times as it is known, women were not valued. As a woman myself I find this troubling to know that had I been born even mere generations ago I would be expected to take a backseat to my husband and care for children. I would have no further tasks other than those related to the household domain, for I would be dressed in an apron rather than a school uniform on a daily basis. And yet, today women have careers. Women have the opportunity to acquire an extensive education and make choices in their lives aside from male influence. Women are taking on careers in traditionally male-dominated fields such as medicine and law - and they are EXCELLING.

However, women are still paid 25 cents less in Canada for every dollar a man makes performing the same job and work load - simply because they are women. Women still face harassment and discrimination in the work force. And of course, let us not forget the situation of Canada's Aboriginal peoples let alone Aboriginal women. We cannot ignore the issues. Women's rights will continue to be a concern, yet it seems that women of today find it easier to accept.

How can we throw away all the hard work and determination women before us fought so bravely to attain? Women were imprisoned for petty crimes such as protesting and waving banners simply because they wanted equality! Women participated in hunger strikes fighting for their voices to be heard when many of us can't seem to go one school period without chowing down on a snack. Think about it. The facts are everywhere.

Our rights were established, but it is still important that they be protected. There is still much work to be done. I believe education is important and if nothing else, take that from our presentation and our articles. If you do not remember that Pankhurst was arrested 12 times alone in 1913, remember that she educated. Remember that women's rights are still as important today as they were before. We need to realize that history is not simply a montage of facts; history is about those who lived and the legacy they left for us to continue.

The Famous - or rather FABULOUS - 5 Canadian Women

Women's Suffrage is a topic that too often seems forgotten when we stop to consider the bloodiest revolutions and the wars fought by perceivably brave men. We have discussed in our presentations and articles about the suffrage movements in both Britain and the U.S., reflecting on the effects of these movements upon Canadian women. Emmeline Pankhurst's militant mission inspired women in many countries, including those in Canada particularly whom she visited prior to and during WWI. She encouraged women to stand up for their rights, yet she told them that in order to do so they would need to establish and protect rights.

The best examples we have of these efforts as Canadians are the Famous 5 Canadian Women: Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy and Irene Parlby.
In 1929 they fought for the recognition of women under the British North America Act. Although the Person's Case remains one of their most significant achievements, the Famous 5 dedicated their lives to improving their communities in numerous ways. The Famous Five continue to be an inspiration not only to all women but to Canadians as a people, unified by progress and equal rights.

Emmeline Pankhurst

Emmeline Pankhurst was the leader of the British Suffrage movement. She managed this campaign with the assistance of her two daughters: Christabel and Sylvia in order to be granted the right to vote for women in Great Britain. She was born in Manchester and studied at the Ecole Normale in Paris in 1898. She married Dr. Richard Marsden Pankhurst who also assisted her in being granted female equality. By 1889. she was one of the founders of the Women’s Franchise League and was also a member of the NUWSS in the Manchester branch.

Emmeline Pankhurst was the most evident campaigner for the women’s right to vote and was recognized as a heroine during the early twentieth century. In her early years, socialism interested her. She became a militant suffragette and became a Conservative Party candidate.

Through Emmeline and her children’s leadership and the actions of the Women’s Social and Political Union(WSPU), women were finally granted the same voting rights as men. Emmeline’s military tactics and ambitious ideas set an example for other suffragettes and a drastic change in nations all over the world. Britain was one of the first few countries to be grant equal voting rights for women.

Inspirational Quotes

“Remember the dignity of your womanhood. Do not appeal, do not beg, do not grovel. Take courage, join hands, stand beside us, fight with us.”- Christabel Pankhurst, Suffragette 1880-1950, Britain

I can’t say that the college-bred woman is the most contented woman. The broader her mind the more she understands the unequal conditions between men and women, the more she shafes under a government that tolerates it - Susan B. Anthony

Now that you have touched the
women you have struck a rock,
you have dislodged a boulder,
you will be crushed”-Women’s Freedom Song August 1956

“Men have singled out women of outstanding merit and put them on a pedestal to avoid recognizing the capabilities of all women”-Huda Shaarawi, writer and women’s rights organizer. 1924, Egypt