1. Role of Women The Persons Case Aboriginal Peoples Self Determination
1920s Minority Rights
Role of Women
The Persons Case
Aboriginal Peoples
Self Determination

2. The Role of Women
Women gaining more control by taking on roles traditionally held by men
Politicians
Sports
Industry
Despite these gains, women still facing discrimination and restrictions

3. Women’s Social Status Married women role was still wife and mother
Single women had limited career options
nurse/teacher
Very few doctors, engineers ect.
secretaries, sales clerks, telephone operators
PAID MUCH LESS THEN MEN!

4. Women were property
Women were the property of her father until marriage
Once married women had few rights over
Property
children
Protection from assault
Women were not considered persons unless charged with a crime

5. Women’s Christian Temperance Union
Supported Women’s right to vote
Believed that with the vote, women could influence the government to address social problems such as child labour, pollution, and poverty

6. Women in Politics Won the Federal Vote in 1918
Only 4 women ran for office in 1921
Only one (Agnes Macphail) won a seat
Only woman in the House of Commons until 1935
Federal/Provincial governments remained male dominated

7. British North America Act Description of Women
“Women are persons in matters of pains and penalties, but are not persons in matters of rights and privileges”

8. The Persons Case 1929
A decade long battle by the Famous Five to get women in Canada defined as persons under the law
April 1928
the Supreme Court of Canada argued that women are not persons under the law
They cannot be magistrates
They cannot be senators

9. The Famous Five Emily Murphy Henrietta Muir Edwards Irene Parlby
Louise McKinney
Nellie McClung
Took their case to get women defined as persons under law to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Prime Minister Mackenzie King supported their cause

10. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council 1929
British Court ruled in favour of women
“ the exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours...To those who would ask why the word “person” should include females, the obvious answer is, why should it not”

11. The Fight for Equality is Remembered, but Far from Over

12. Aboriginal Peoples
Contribution to the war effort did little to help their situation at home
Not classified Persons
No vote
BC 1949
Federal 1960

13. Government Attempts to Assimilate First Nations
Indian Act 1876
Regulated the lives of Aboriginals in Canada
reservation lands “given” to free up land for settlers and immigrants from Europe
Regulated by government agents who decided when or if they could leave
Land was unsuited for farming and no equipment provided

14. Policy of Assimilation Targeted Children
The purpose of Residential Schools was to assimilate children to the European lifestyle
“Kill the Indian in the Child”
Did not end until the 1980s- 90s!

15. Attacking Cultural Events
Potlatches were an important cultural ceremony involving the oral acknowledgement of births, deaths, namings, establishing status in tribes, sharing of wealth ect.
Deemed forbidden in as they were seen as an obstacle to assimilation

16. 1920s Fight to Regain Potlatches
First Nations challenged Provincial and Federal Government on right to hold Potlatches
After WWI Kwagiulth people held several Potlatches despite the ban
- The Provincial government arrested chiefs and sentenced many to jail terms

17. Struggle for Land Claims in the 1920s
The Allied Tribes of BC argued the government had violated the Indian Act by taking reservation land
In response, the government changed the Indian Act
allow transfer of land without Aboriginal consent
Made it illegal to raise money to pursue land claims without government consent

18. Enfranchisement
1920 The Indian Act was changed to allow the government to enfranchise Aboriginals without their consent
Make them European citizens
take away status and therefore treaty rights
Policy ended 2 years later

19. Self Determination
1923 the Six Nation Council of the Iroquois Confederacy took the issue of Aboriginal Self-Determination to the League of Nations
Wanted international recognition of the Six Nations as an independent state to end ties with the government and the Indian Act
Britain blocked it from happening