One of the best ways to judge the different political arguments in Canada from the early 20th century is by reviewing the different political cartoons that were released. These were an effective way of educating the masses because it did not require an advanced education or vocabulary to understand where each side was debating. One of the more popular conflicts that were ongoing in the first years of the 1900’s was the fight for women’s equality. This included the right to vote and the right to participate in government. By comparing political cartoons from before, during, and after the First World War the changing context of Canadian society also affected the public opinion and the power balance towards the evolution of Women’s equality. …show more content…
The second cartoon from 1910 depicts an anti-suffragette prediction of what Parliament would look like if women were allowed to participate. This drawing is in reply to a statement made by a British feminist who says “The day will come when women will sit in your Canadian Parliament.” On one side of this cartoon, the Canadian Parliament is filled with women who are busy trading recipes, worrying if their hat is on straight, petty topics to discuss in parliament. On the other side there is Prime Minister Borden busy flirting while a minister behind him is arguing: “the appropriation for doilies and tidies for members desks is, I claim, not inadequate to the dignity and toodleyumptyido of this house.” This is a kind of vocabulary that is not at the same high standard that is associated with politicians, therefore bringing down the quality and intentions of the debates in Parliament. In the upper left-hand corner there is a man saying, “Well I’ll be damned,” while leaning on a balcony beside a snail, which symbolizes the rate of progress that parliament would assume if women were allowed to participate. This is a demonstration of the importance of the male dominance in government, and an argument against the suffragette movement. The final pre-War cartoon is another anti-suffragette opinion in response to the 1912 arrests of protesting women. It is titled “My Wifey Is In Jail” and depicts the husband of an incarcerated suffragette
The government and the general populace realized how hard the woman had worked for the sake of Canada, and this earned woman the respect that they had longed for from the general populace and the government. Furthermore, this very sense of respect was proved when the government under Prime Minister Borden approved the War measures act on September 20, 1917(“Woman’s right to vote in Canada”). This very act was a prime gesture from the Canadian government that illustrated how winning the respect of the people resulted in the destruction of the misogynistic sentiments of that era. Furthermore, many historians regard the “War Times Act” as a gesture that was carried out in order to acknowledge the efforts that women had done in order to aid in the war(“Suffrage in Canada”). As said previously, woman raised funds for war, they volunteered as nurses overseas, worked endless hours in factories in order to build munitions, and provided countless other services for the benefit of the economy and the government. Moreover, they simultaneously kept their families together,”while men went overseas”(“Woman get the vote”), and kept war efforts moving through funds raised by various non-profit organizations run by women. The government witnessed this and rewarded the services of such woman by granting them the right to vote. Furthermore, the fact the government wanted to integrate women into the Canadian political system reveals that the long arduous toiling that woman had done for the nation was finally beginning to reap rewards for their own battle for gender equality.. Although, the right to vote was only bestowed upon those who were related to soldiers fighting overseas, it nonetheless
Since the 19th Century, women in Canada have fought political, legal, and social battles to find their place in Canadian society. From starting out in small, local organizations, to legal battles in the Supreme Court, Canadian women have come a long way. Unfortunately, it took a long time for many people to adapt to the changing roles of women, which made women still feel unequal compared to men. It is really striking to think that at one point society questioned if women could even be considered persons, just a small sample of the many changes women had to face through the course of history. This paper will analyze these changes experienced by Canadian women in that time period and how it affected their everyday lives.
The first reason that shows that Canada has become a “just society” is the changes to women’s legal rights. Since the 1970s, many women have stepped up to the work of politics. Several instances include Kim Campbell, the first woman to become the prime minister of Canada,1 Kathleen Wynne, the first premier of Canada to be lesbian,2 Beverley McLachlin, the “first female chief of justice of the Supreme Court of Canada,”3 and Catherine Callbeck, the second female provincial premiere and first woman to win
Women's Suffrage was one of the many well knows Progressive reform movements. Women became involved in political issues like the Temperance Movement through the WCTU (women’s Christian Temperance Union). Document H, shows that many women were feeling angry and were being cheated out of their right to vote and to be involved in the government. The message of the poster is that the U.S., especially President Wilson, needs to stop worrying about other countries and start worrying about the 20,000,000 women that don’t have the right to vote. Herbert Croly also thought that the President needed to do more at home. He accuses the president of deluding, “ himself into believing the extravagant claims which he makes on behalf of the Democratic Legislative achievement.”(Document F)
Overall, the representation of elected women now stands at about 25 % at each level of government, including on municipal councils, in provincial/territorial legislatures and at federal level. (Parliament of Canada, 2016) With this significant gender parity in politics, the paper examines the causes of the under-representation of Canadian women in politics. Findings are based on scholarly articles and their analyzed data on why do fewer Canadian women run for political office. When taken together, the results presented in this paper argues that (1) unwelcoming environment (women and family unfriendly working environment) with lack of support in political engagement, (2) women’s experience of exclusion, paternalism and systemic discrimination in political realm, and (3) media’s portrayal of women as to be marginalized by the society are what cause Canadian women to be under-represented in politics. Finally, the paper raises an interesting question from the topic of gender disparity into further discussion of the discrimination within discriminated group women other than those privileged ones who are likely to be selected in public
Throughout this course, we learn that women’s studies originated as a concerned at the time that “women and men noticed the absence, misrepresentation, and trivialization of women [in addition to] the ways women were systematically excluded from many positions of power and authority” (Shaw, Lee 1). It has always been known that in the past, men have had more privilege than women. Women have battled for centuries against certain patterns of inadequacy that all women experience. Every culture and customs have divergent female identities, however this does not hinder the fact that many of these cultures are based on patriarchal past where men hold more rights than women. Canadian women have sought to overcome these stereotypes and have managed to gain a position of near equality. This was
In the first source, The picture depicts the same boy before and after his enrolment in one of the many residential schools in Canada. Right off the bat, we can see the drastic change in appearance. Although not noticeable The boy’s personality, knowledge and culture have also probably changed. At the time residential schools were made mandatory for kids, with the motivation of assimilating the natives and hopes of “killing the Indian within them.” These schools were constructed because the Indian Act (Act government used to encourage assimilation) made federal government responsible for education. Children were taken away from their families, sometimes by force striping them from their identity forever. Digging deeper we can infer that the cause of residential schools stems back to the cultural contact between the two nations. The clashing social values of the two cultures is what created the foundation of residential schools.
French-Canadians in the east, who had revoked female voting rights in the 1840's, saw suffrage as a threat against their culture. As a consequence, it took years, decades for these ideals to alter the ink on voting legislation, even in municipalities, longer still for state/federal votes, even longer still for women of ethnic minorities to be included.
Back in the earlier days of Canada it was very easy to see which sex the country valued as dominant. It would not be until the 19th century that women in Canada begin to see even small changes in the way that they were valued in their country. Women gained the vote in certain provinces such as Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan in the year 1916. However it would not be until the year 1922 that women would gain the right to vote in Prince Edward Island and not until 1940 that women in Québec gained the right to vote. Women gaining the right to vote in Canada were a very controversial topic for many years. Many feared that by giving women the right to vote, it would change politics, that one women were into parliament everything would change,
Women's actual presence in city streets definitively questioned outdated ideas of femininity and consequent limitations on women's behavior. The significant parades, organized between 1910 and 1913, revealed women's shared deployment while visually representing woman suffragists’, which challenged their suggested social roles (Borada, 2002). The performance of suffrage parades became an act of public celebration, an illustration of social protest, and an exhibition of women's ability to partake in political societies. Subsequently, in women's lengthy battle for the right to vote, new political strategies and, more accurately, an approach of strategic opposition were created within the movements (Borada, 2002).
Cartoons have been a prominent and interesting apparatus for politics throughout the ages. Political movements, parties, and groups using propaganda to further their beliefs dates back to the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Though America faces an austere history, lighthearted propaganda colors its decades and gives them life. Political cartoons are so widely used in America that they have become a significant piece of pop culture. Moreover, because of their ability to capture the reader’s attention, propaganda is exploited throughout politics.The cartoons are wonders of the human imagination; illustrators create comical images and intertwine profound political opinions to influence their viewer’s mind. For example, one movement that abundantly grew from propaganda was the women’s rights movement. The artists of the seemingly despised cause drew controversial cartoons that set a fire in the hearts of women all over the world. Consequently, the same cartoons ignited a passionate war between women who wanted freedom, and those who believed that women could not handle that freedom. Through the use of colorful concepts and daring expressions, political cartoons display the influence of the women’s rights movement throughout history, while the cartoons of Anti-Feminists demonstrates the world’s reaction to the movement.
The main request of this source, and of the NUWSS, was for votes to be given to women. The way that the NUWSS made their appeal in this source gives an idea of the opposition being faced. Their desire for voting rights here is encompassed in the language of the private sphere. Often, anti-suffrage arguments centred around fears that women's involvement in politics would lead to the neglect of their female
Throughout history, Canada’s identity has changed in many ways and there have been many historical events that have greatly shaped and impacted Canada’s history and identity. The Women’s Movement and women’s contribution in the past and throughout history has had the greatest impact on shaping Canada into what it is today. Among many identifying qualities like being multicultural, bilingual, and world leaders, Canada is also country that has changed immensely in the way of becoming a country that has learned to accept women, move towards providing them with equal opportunities and treating them equally. Through economic, social and political movements and actions, the contribution from women and the women’s movement have increased, changed and improved women’s rights and equality greatly. Women worked to create independence and equality economically through their contributions to war on the homefront in WWI resulting in greater workplace equality, socially through the actions of the Flappers in the 1920’s giving women currently, the confidence and strength that they need to speak up, and politically, through the work of the Suffragists including the Famous 5 to allow women to have the same political rights as men.
Women being able to vote was a huge step forward for Canadian women, but even though they could run for certain political positions, they could not be Senators. During the early twentieth century women were not legally considered “persons” and could not be Senators (Women become Persons). This act of exclusion portrayed Canada as an immature nation. A milestone with significant importance occurred in the Persons Case. The first constitution of Canada was the BNA Act (British North America Act). In this constitution it referred to a group of people as “persons” but when one individual was referenced they used the word ‘he”. The constitution restricted women from holding public office. (History Canadian resources book) The act declared that “women are persons in matters of pain and penalties, but are not persons in matters of rights and privileges.” Therefore, women could be given the same penalties as men for breaking a law, but could not receive the same basic benefits that men could. Unfair legalities like this proves that Canada was
I do find the political cartoon persuasive for it shows the abusive nature of all the stamps and lack of restriction found in having such thing exist in our government. That it also shows the lack of trust it has for the people, and we shows why we should not trust the government as much even they upheld behavior as absurb and abusive