Women's Rights in the 1920's Flashcards
(3 cards)
who are The Famous Five?
Emily Murphy – The first female magistrate in Canada and a key advocate for women’s legal rights.
Nellie McClung – A suffragist, writer, and political activist who fought for women’s right to vote.
Irene Parlby – A social activist and politician, she worked to improve conditions for rural women and was the first woman to serve in a provincial cabinet in Alberta.
Henrietta Muir Edwards – A women’s rights activist and one of the founders of the National Council of Women in Canada.
Louise McKinney – A strong advocate for women’s rights and the first woman elected to the Alberta legislature.
who is Agnes Macphail?
Agnes Macphail was a pioneering Canadian politician and the first woman elected to the House of Commons of Canada. She made significant contributions to social justice, equality, and the rights of women and marginalized groups in Canada.
explain The Persons Case
The Persons Case was a landmark legal case in Canada that resulted in the decision that women could be considered “persons” under the law. This ruling was crucial because it allowed women to be eligible for appointment to the Canadian Senate, something they had previously been excluded from.
Before the Persons Case, the British North America Act (1867), which governed Canada’s constitution, used the term “persons” to refer to male citizens only. Women, therefore, were not allowed to hold positions in the Senate. The case was launched after Emily Murphy, the first woman in Canada appointed as a magistrate, attempted to have a woman appointed to the Senate. The Governor General at the time, Lord Byng, argued that women were not legally “persons” as per the Act.
The Famous Five, a group of influential women, played a key role in challenging this interpretation.
