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The Canadian Women's Suffrage Association (CWSA) Formed
Previously known as the Toronto Women's Literary Guild, the CWSA is a powerful women's suffrage organization founded by Emily Howard Stowe. It was created to fight for women's rights and improve their working conditions. They were sucessful in getting the higher education schools in Toronto to accept women. -
The Married Women's Property Act
The Married Women's Property Act gives women the same amount of legal rights as men. This act makes a wife responsible for her own wages, profits, and property. She is also partly responsible for the financial support of her children. -
Military Voter's Act
An act made in World War I, it gave all Canadian soldiers the right to vote, regardless of where they resided previously. This act contributed to the Women's Sufferage Movement because it provided women who served in the armed forces and the nurses who treated the soldiers the right to vote in the Canadian elections. -
The Dominion Elections Act
A Canadian Bill passed by the Conservative government of Robert Borden and due to the major efforts of Nellie McClung The act allowed women to run for the Parliament of Canada. Yet, minorities such as Aboriginals, Asians, and Japanese women were denied this right. -
Women's Labour League
Arrived in Canada before WWI, the Women's Labour League was created to defend the struggle of women's workers and support the labour movement. The league states their desire for equal pay, maternity care and birth control rights for all Canadian women. The League had little success but were able to expose the problems within Canada's minimum wage laws and other poor government decisions. -
First Olympics for Canadian Women
The 1928, Amsterdam Summer Olympics hosted the first group of female Canadian athletes. Seven female athletes joined the Canadian team and won more than a quarter of Canada's metals that year (two gold, a silver, and a bronze). Some these metal winning female athletes included Fanny “Bobbie” Rosenfeld who took silver in the 100m, Florence Bell, Myrtle Book and Ethel Smith who won gold in the 4x100m relay, Ethel Catherwood who won gold in high jump and Ethel Smith captured bronze in the 100m. -
The Persons Case
Five Alberta women known as the Famous Five fought a political battle to have women recognized as persons in the British North American Act. The decision of the British Privy Council, was a monumental victory for the rights of Canadian women. This provided women with the oppertunity to be eligible for appointment to the Senate. After this milestone, women found the courage to dream big and realize their full potential. -
The Female Employees Equal Pay Act
A policy created by the Canadian government that states women have the right to be paid the same wages as men for similar work. This law made discrimination towards women in the workforce unacceptable financially. Equal pay to both sexes for equal work. -
Royal Commission on the Status of Women
A Canadian Royal Comission that was commenced by Lester B. Pearson. It looked at the status of women and suggested steps that should be taken into consideration by the Canadian Federal government to gurantee equal oppertunities for men and women in all areas of Canadian society. -
First Female Prime Minister
Kim Campbell is he first women to sucessfully run a campaign and become the federal Prime Minister of Canada. Although her term as PM was brief (6 Months), she was a pioneer for women in politics.
