Women's History Timeline 1914 - 1929 by Samuel Arcand

1914 National Union of Women Suffrage Societies of Canada Created

348772120 — 2025-02-24 14:10:47 UTC

In 1914 the women of Canada were fed up and tired with the injustices they were facing in their own country. Instead of holding that anger inside they wanted to show they could fight back. Their way of showing this resistance was the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies of Canada. What started as a somewhat smaller group of people turned into a nationwide union with so many people joining. The creation of this union is so important in Canadian history as it was the jump started social change and women were finally being heard. While the initial creation of the union was not a big deal the domino effect that began because of it was massive.

1914 - 1918 Nurses in WW1

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Despite the fact that women were not allowed to be soldiers in the first world war, it didn't mean that they weren't on the front lines. Nearly 2,800 brave Canadian women travelled as nurses and volunteers to aid the soldiers. While this may seem like a safe and protected job, many nurses experienced some of the worst parts of the war. This is very important to remember because even though they were forbidden to fight, women still did what they could to help. The gain with this bravery meant that women were being taken more seriously by Canadians. The women overseas were risk taking, smart and respected by so many Canadians at a time where that was rare, which makes them very important.

1918 - Women Win the Right to Vote

348772120 — 2025-02-24 14:48:04 UTC

Women receiving the right to vote was a historic success for women's rights. Prior to this law being passed women had just received the right to vote in provincial elections. Largely responsible for this success was the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies of Canada, without this union filled with action seeking women the right to vote may never have been given. Even to this day this moment in time should be remembered because it was a change that showed how women were being taken seriously in the higher parts of government. Even though it was only women of British descent the law proved that they were gaining respect. This was only the spark that ignited more and more change when it came to women's rights.

1921 - Agnes Macphail Elected into Federal Parliament

348772120 — 2025-02-24 19:40:37 UTC

Agnes Macphail lived in the farming town of Owen Sound, Ontario. During the first federal election where women were allowed to vote, Agnes ran in her area and won. She ran on behalf of her fellow farmers and as a result of her being elected she became the first female member of federal parliament. She fought for many marginalized groups rights including women, prisoners and immigrants. Overall she was the first real role model for women in parliament. Agnes entered a field of work dominated by men and defied the odds. Which made Agnes Macphail a significant part of Canadian history.

1921 - Maternity Leave in BC

348772120 — 2025-02-25 00:52:48 UTC

Maternity leave was never seen as a normality at this time in Canada’s history however the implementation of it in BC sparked change. Before the implementation of this law women had to quit their job just to go back when they were ready. More importantly with the creation of this law employers of women had to allow maternity leave or else they would receive heavy fines. This was the first wave of maternity rights given to women in Canada. It is because of BC that we have these strong maternity laws and without their initial guidance the maternity norms we have today may not have been as prominent.

1928 - First Female Canadian to Win a Gold Medal: Ethel Catherwood

348772120 — 2025-02-25 01:28:34 UTC

In 1928 the first Olympics where women could compete was held in Amsterdam. Many Canadians were sent including women; however the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal was Ethel Catherwood. In the high jump she held many national and world records however her greatest achievement by far is her gold medal. At this time female role models in athletics were hard to come by however when Ethel won her gold medal she definitely was one. The medal was an image to Canadian women that they could compete and win on an international level. Her name is in the history books and at this time she was one of the most admired women in Canadian athletics making her critical when it comes to women history.

1929 - The Persons Case

348772120 — 2025-02-25 01:56:47 UTC

The passing of the Persons Case is widely regarded as the most important and influential moment of women's history in Canada. It all started when Emily Murphy was not allowed to work in the Senate. She brought four other women activists to sign a petition to send to the government, initially it was denied however they persevered and got it passed. The law that was imposed officially stated women as ‘persons,’ something that was not true before. This was very important in women's history as it meant they couldn’t be turned down based on an interpretation. More women were able to get into positions of power and actually begin change. Without the work of these women the opportunities that all people are given may have not been possible.

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Cause: The reason for the petition that the famous 5 signed was because women were unable to join the senate. Emily Murphy’s next step in her career was to join the senate. However because in the description of a person able to work in the senate it wrote person, she was unable to work. At this time in history women were not considered people. This infuriated the famous 5 and they decided to do something about it.

Consequence: As a result of the disapproval of women working in the senate the famous 5 went to the Privy Council to reverse the decision. The privy council agreed with the famous 5 and the most important document regarding women's rights was created. It is very surprising that at this time women were not considered people however it was a reality for these women. While the consequence of this case may seem limited it is more than the paper that proves how important this case is. It was written out proof that women were able to get into high positions in government if they were smart enough to get there. Nowadays women are closer to equality than ever and it would not be possible without these women who stood up for what they believed in.

How does this event show how people can work effectively together? The passing of the persons case is a very good representation of working together effectively. At this time women were seen as less than men and it would be impossible for them to be high in government and in positions of power. These women met for a ‘tea party’ to get work done. The famous 5 met in Edmonton at Emily Murphy's house to properly discuss the petition. These were the 5 most prominent women activists in Canada, and when they met they all signed the petition challenging the interpretation of the word person in official government documents and won, proving how with great minds no matter the gender success is possible.

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Continuity: After winning this right a lot of things stayed the same in Canada. While women did officially win the right to vote it was only the ones who came from british descent. Additionally, while this was a good win when it comes to women's rights they still faced lots of struggles and discrimination by the government and society. Overall the view of women was more or less the same, however change was beginning to happen.

Change: While winning the right to vote can be seen as a small win, the domino effect that followed was what made this moment so important. Many women were still missing rights that they deserved such as maternity leave. But what the initial win of the federal vote did was show women that they had the strength and power to take something to government and win. They were no longer silenced and separated from society. If a woman

spoke out in 1910 not much would happen, however after the world war they were being heard, something never seen before and thus was the biggest change.

How does this event contribute to the development of our Canadian identity:

Women winning the right to vote in 1918 was a very big contribution to the overall Canadian image and identity.. Majority of people would say that Canada is a diverse country with lots of opportunity no matter who you are. However it may not have wound up this way if it weren't for the people in our history who spoke out and took action when necessary. This event was one of those identity defining moments, where a group of people who were unhappy with their situation stood up for what they believed in. A place in time that truly represents what our country stands for. When women won their right to vote in 1918 it was a law that showed who Canada was as a country.