Women's Equality Day: A Brief Canadian History

What is Women's Equality Day?

Women's Equality Day commemorates when the 19th Amendment was adopted in the United States Constitution in 1920. This gave women the right to vote at state and federal levels.

Women's Equality in Canada

• In 1918, female citizens over the age of 21 could vote in federal Canadian elections. The right for women to vote provincially would slowly be fought for and won across the country after this. However, these rights did not extend to Indigenous women in Canada.
• In 1951, changes to the Indian Act allowed First Nations women the right to vote in their band council elections. Prior to colonization, First Nations women were important influences in their communities' decision-making. Now they were able to contribute once again.
• In 1964, Bill 16 granted Quebec women the ability to act independently of their husbands. This widened women's legal freedoms. This bill was championed by Quebec's first female member of the Legislative Assembly, Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain.
• In 1985, changes to Bill C-31 aimed to eliminate gender-based discrimination. No longer would an Indigenous woman's "Indian status" be lost if they married a "non-status Indian" man. Women who had previously lost their status prior to the Bill C-31 amendments were also able to regain it.
• In 2007, the first gender-balanced Cabinet in Canada was formed by Jean Charest, the Liberal Premier of Quebec. The Cabinet had 9 women and 9 men, with several of the women receiving senior position appointments.
• In 2015, prime minister Justin Trudeau followed in suit and created the first gender-balanced Federal Cabinet. The Cabinet was made up of 15 women and 15 men.

While women's rights have come a long way, our society still has work to do to achieve gender equality. Appreciate these accomplishments, but work toward an even brighter future!