World War One's Impact on Women in Canada

The Suffragettes, a female organization that campaigned for women’s rights, were fundamental in winning Canadian women the vote. One of their campaigns in the early 20th century aimed to prohibit alcohol, as they argued that this would reduce domestic violence against women. During the First World War, the public began to believe that prohibition would make people more focused on the war effort. The Suffragettes’ campaign for prohibition gained more support, and so did the Suffragettes themselves. The Suffragettes also argued that, in return for their contributions to the war effort, women deserved a voice in politics. In 1916, women were given the vote in provincial elections in four provinces. By 1920, women in all provinces except for Quebec could vote in provincial elections. As the First World War progressed, and countless soldiers died overseas, the Canadian army was in need of new recruits. In 1917, the government decided to resort to conscription. In order to implement conscription, the government held a vote to the public. The government realized that the women who had husbands, sons, or brothers fighting overseas would be likely to support the war effort and vote in favour of conscription. These women were given the right to vote by the “Wartime Elections Act.” A year after the war had ended, the right to vote in federal elections was extended to all non-Aboriginal women over the age of twenty-one.