History of Women's Rights to Equality in Canada
A Women’s Rights to Equality in Canada
Every woman has the right to moral, legal and political choice. As we look to the past, women fought for the right to be treated the same as men and fundamentally to have the same rights as men. Prior to the turn of the century, women had little to no rights. World War I and II gave way to change, allowing women to work and eventually allowing them to vote. The feminist movement has made drastic progress since the war. Today women are seen as equal and have the right not only to vote, but to be educated. In 1977 the Canadian Human Rights Act ensured that women could no longer be discriminated based on their sex, race, religion or sexuality. The act specified that there must be “equal pay for work of equal value”. It is important to educate the youth on the historical struggles that women have faced. The women’s rights movement improved the lives of women in Canada and although women have made significant progress, there are still gender inequality issues that must be acknowledged and addressed.
During the 1800’s a woman would be considered the property of her fathers and eventually her husbands. A woman did not have property rights except for land that she might inherit. It was expected that once she married, all ownership of land and money would go to her husband. Education was a privilege for the wealthy and not made available to working class women. It was also not uncommon for a husband to beat his wife if she behaved inappropriately. Clearly, one can conclude that women did not have rights and were not treated with the same importance and prestige as men at this time. It wasn’t until 1872 that the Married Women’s Property Act of Ontario gave married women the right to keep her wage earning free from her husband’s control. It was during the 1880’s that the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Canada was starting to move forward. Female suffrage was the right of women to vote. At this time, men thought they
Every woman has the right to moral, legal and political choice. As we look to the past, women fought for the right to be treated the same as men and fundamentally to have the same rights as men. Prior to the turn of the century, women had little to no rights. World War I and II gave way to change, allowing women to work and eventually allowing them to vote. The feminist movement has made drastic progress since the war. Today women are seen as equal and have the right not only to vote, but to be educated. In 1977 the Canadian Human Rights Act ensured that women could no longer be discriminated based on their sex, race, religion or sexuality. The act specified that there must be “equal pay for work of equal value”. It is important to educate the youth on the historical struggles that women have faced. The women’s rights movement improved the lives of women in Canada and although women have made significant progress, there are still gender inequality issues that must be acknowledged and addressed.
During the 1800’s a woman would be considered the property of her fathers and eventually her husbands. A woman did not have property rights except for land that she might inherit. It was expected that once she married, all ownership of land and money would go to her husband. Education was a privilege for the wealthy and not made available to working class women. It was also not uncommon for a husband to beat his wife if she behaved inappropriately. Clearly, one can conclude that women did not have rights and were not treated with the same importance and prestige as men at this time. It wasn’t until 1872 that the Married Women’s Property Act of Ontario gave married women the right to keep her wage earning free from her husband’s control. It was during the 1880’s that the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Canada was starting to move forward. Female suffrage was the right of women to vote. At this time, men thought they