How War Impacted the Lives of Women

With their newfound right to vote Canadian women continued to progress in the years following the First World War. As the fighting stopped, it was expected that women would quietly step down from their jobs. However, many were enjoying their new­found independence, and wished for a more equal society. As a result, there were many campaigns and cases in support of women’s rights that took place during the years in between the wars. Perhaps the most notable of these was the Person’s Case of 1929, a case that would change the basic definition of a female person. In the 1920’s it was highlighted by a group of feminists called the Famous 5, that the term “persons” only applied to male people. The Famous 5, consisting of Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney, and Henrietta Muir Edwards, did not agree with this definition, so they set about finding a way to remedy it. Because the Supreme Court of Canada had deemed “persons” to mean only those of the male gender, the group of women took the case to the British Privy Council which, at the time, outranked the Supreme Court of Canada. The British Privy Council could find no reason why “persons” should exclude those of the female gender, so they deemed the term to mean all people. This definition of the word “persons” had previously prevented women from obtaining university degrees, having professions, and holding public office. The brief spell of peace between the wars afforded the Famous 5 enough time to rewrite the definition of a woman.