Women did not always find life as easy as it is today. The Women's Rights Movement, changed society, into what we know it to be today. Women around the world were considered to be inferior to men, but over many years of hard work and devotion, women finally gained equality. Women were a man's property, were not considered a "person", could not hold jobs, and were not allowed to vote.
In earlier years, women were inferior to men in many ways. Women and their children seemed to be owned by the father and husband. The laws brought over from Great Britain, seemed to be the reason for these laws. Women did not have any property rights and once she was married, she was no longer allowed to own land, could not keep the money she earned for herself and was not allowed the care and control of her children. A man was able to sell the family farm, take all the money for himself, and leave his wife and children behind with nothing. Also, if a man died without writing a will, his wife was not able to inherit anything, including any of the money she may have earned herself, or the land she had owned before her marriage. The Women's Rights Movement, helped women throughout the country by passing laws stating that women could in fact own part of her husbands estate. In Alberta, the Dower Act was passed in the early 1900's, giving women the legal right to one third of her husbands estate during his life, and after his death. In 1922, married women in Alberta were finally given the right to own property in her own name. Emily Murphy was the woman behind these new laws in Alberta. The 1920's were a giant stepping stone for women. This right to own property, made women everywhere know that they were able to do things without a husband to depend on. It gave them strength, which women still find today.
In the begining of the 1900's, a woman was not considered a person. The British North America Act of 1867 used the word persons when it reffered to more than one person , and the word he , when it reffered to only one person. Many people believed that the use of the word he , meant that when they reffered to more than one person, they were also reffering only to men. The act also said that only "qualified persons" could be appointed to the Senate. Women's groups began pressuring the federal government to appoint a woman to the Senate, and many wanted Emily Murphy to be this woman. They declined this issue, saying that she could not be part of the Senate, when women were not considered persons in federal law. In 1927, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louis McKinney and Henrietta Edwars, nicknamed "The Valiant Five" asked the Supreme Court of Canada to answer the following question : Are women persons? After five long weeks of debaits and arguments, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that the definition of the word person , did not include women. The Valiant Five brought the Persons case to the Privy Council in England, which was Canada's highest court. On October 18th 1929, the Privy Court, finally announced that women were indeed persons. This decision was a big one for Canadian women.
Women had hard times finding good paying jobs that they were able to hold in the early 1900's. In society, women were supposed to stay at home with the children, do all the household chores including dairy and tending to the gardens, as well as preparing all the food.. A woman was not supposed to be part of the working world, but for some women, they did not have a choice. Women who did find jobs, got payed very low salaries compared to men, and got very few hours. They were able to find jobs as school teachers, or in factories if they were lucky. Many young women had to turn to prostitution, because they had no other means of survival. The Women's Rights Movement allowed women to obtain more work hours, and minimum wage. This helped women tremendously, since some women had to support children, and in some cases sick husbands. If there was no husand, or if he was ill and not able to work, the women of the household had very hard times working and trying to support their families. Not only were employers not looking to hire women, but women did not have high forms of education. They were primarily educated on the maintenance of a household, and the running of a family. In most cases, women were only educated until the ages of 9 to 12 years old. The only girls who were permitted to pursue a higher education, were those of families with money. The young women then started working and doing chores for the family, until they were old enough to get married. This lack of education, also prevented them from holding jobs, and least of all jobs who aquired good pay.
