The Fight for Women’s Rights in Canada Continues
Like many women in Canada, I grew up with the cozy narrative that the fight for women’s rights was mostly over; that we had achieved equality barring a few minor exceptions, and that the urgency of the fight had faded.
The danger of this narrative, however, is it fails to recognize how recently secured many of our rights are and how far we still must go.
In this blog,
I describe the ways women’s rights in Canada are, in fact, still fragile and relatively new
outline the threats to those rights put forth by the current global surge in right-wing sentiment
and implore women and our allies to stay vigilant in the fight.
Prior to the colonization of the land currently known as Canada, there were many matriarchal societies. Colonialism brought about racist and patriarchal laws, governmental structures, and values that disempowered women and devalued our work. Since then, women have worked towards equality slowly — only earning key rights such as the right to vote relatively recently.
The fight for women’s right to vote in Canada began in the 1870s, several years after Canada was formed in 1867.
Municipally, the first women in Canada gained the right to vote in 1887.
Provincially, it wasn’t until 1916 that some Canadian women gained the right to vote and be elected in parliament. Manitoban women won the vote first and other provinces followed suit later that year. But the fight for the provincial vote continued until 1940 when Quebec granted women voting rights at last.
Federally, women slowly began receiving the right to vote in 1917, with First Nations women only gaining the right to vote in 1960. That was merely 65 years ago.
In a similarly slow recognition of women’s equality, the Federal government only passed the Female Employees Equal Pay Act – making gender-based wage discrimination illegal – in 1956. And, it wasn’t until 1983 – only 42 years ago – that marital rape was criminalized. Further still, it wasn’t until 1988 in R. v. Morgentaler that Canada effectively decriminalized abortion.
Now, there is a global movement towards regressive policies that erode women’s rights, including the recent reversal of what was once the fundamental right to abortion access in the United States. This type of rights erosion at the structural level sits against the backdrop of widespread gender-based violence towards women and girls globally -- including in Palestine, Serbia, Mexico, Afghanistan, and beyond. Women and allies have mobilized in response to these regressive political trends and widespread violence against women. On International Women’s Day, for example, protests took place around the world.
Canadian women are also experiencing violence at alarming rates. Canadian reporters and politicians are experiencing an increase in sexualized violence and harassment, and the prevalence of anti-gender violence is growing. Additionally, the murder of Indigenous women – who have historically been the last to receive protection in Canada – continues at jaw dropping rates.
As violence towards women becomes more pervasive, the fledgling rights of Canadian women are at risk. In March of this year, for example, Canada’s Prime Minister eliminated the position of Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth from his cabinet. While he restored this position after the recent federal election, the initial removal marks a lack of prioritization of women’s rights in Canada.
The ongoing fight for women’s rights is important for all women, but the need is particularly acute for women who are BIPOC or 2SLGBTQIA as, historically, these marginalized groups are the last to receive fundamental rights, the most vulnerable to violence, and the least protected when rights are stripped away. Therefore now, just as much as every other moment in post-colonial history, the fight to protect and uplift women continues as not only an act of feminism, but an act of applied decolonization and anti-racism.
One of the most effective ways to support the fight for women’s rights is to contribute to the re-empowerment of Indigenous women in Canada, who have faced immense violence because of colonialism. Opportunities to support Indigenous women include contributing to or getting involved with the following organizations:
Additionally, the following women’s rights organizations are doing important work:
Finally, I invite you to join my community of thought leaders and changemakers who are working to break free from the colonial-capitalist patriarchal system that divides us and undermines our wellbeing. The project of achieving equity for all is large scale and, to make meaningful change, we must work together to decolonize our minds, our systems, and our society.
If you want to join me in the fight for a more equitable future, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter and follow me on socials. You’ll receive regular, practical steps you can take to decolonize your life so we can do better, work better, feel better and contribute to a better world for all.
Towards an equitable future,
Laurel
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