The War Waged by Women

Prior to a mere one hundred years ago, not one Canadian woman had ever obtained the right to vote in Canadian elections past municipal level. What seems preposterous to western society now was openly recognized as such by only a select few at the dawn of the twentieth century. These individuals, who together formed the women’s suffrage movement, were the driving force that led to the acquisition of women’s voting rights throughout the entirety of Canada. The fact that this major accomplishment was achieved earliest among the three prairie provinces can be best attributed to three factors: the strong, vocal leadership of Nellie McClung and the Political Equality League; the adoption of women’s suffrage as part of the liberal agenda by Manitoba’s premier Tobias Norris; and the pressure for reform that the Great War applied to the provincial governments.
The War Waged by Women

Dylan Crosby

Grade 11

Miller Comprehensive High School
Regina, Saskatchewan

My favourite time in Canadian history is the period during the First World War. A lot was going on in terms of reform and growth. 

Related Essays

  • The Fight for Women's Rights in Canada

    The Fight for Women's Rights in Canada

    Abby MacLean

    Pictou County, Nova Scotia

    I chose this question because I feel very strongly about feminism. I read several articles on it and I became intrigued to learn more.

  • Let The Stream Run Fast

    Let The Stream Run Fast

    Amanda Luu

    Surrey, British Columbia

    I was drawn to this question because, as a young woman, I felt that it was important to educate myself about the history of women's rights

 
View all essays