A Time for Equality: Wartime Victories

As a result of having such a vital role in World War I and gaining the right to vote, women won innumerable battles for their rights, both vast and trivial, during the inter-war years. Agnes Macphail was elected as the first female member of the House of Commons, winning her seat in the 1921 election. Also, Mary Ellen Smith worked her way up the political ladder, starting as the first member of the B.C. Legislative Assembly that was female. She later became a Cabinet minister and then a speaker of the B.C. Legislature. In all the provinces, women were being given more credibility as politicians, leading to females being keen to take up the profession. While these political triumphs did have an impact on the widespread view of women, the Person’s Case advanced women’s rights the most at the time. Emily Murphy was the one who championed the case, gathering the support of four other activists when her solo efforts failed. They became widely known as the Famous Five.