The feminist movement in Canada has been described as three stages, the first focusing on property rights, access to education, and suffrage; the second focusing on pay equity, reproductive rights, child care, and violence against women; and the third, focusing on women in other countries 7. The first stage was led by the famous five, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Emily Murphy. Two big advances were made during this period: The Dower Act and the Persons Case, and both were brought about by the members of the Famous Five. These resolved both legal issues of the time.
The second stage continued to the mid-1990s, which also made significant with the addition of a new clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantees equality of all Canadians, without discrimination based on gender 8. Although, as Therese Parent and Lee Tunstall described, this is just seen as a formality because no piece of legislature can determine the actions of all Canadians 9. But as far as the law goes, there is no more that can be done than that.
The third stage is current and focuses on legal rights for women in other countries, because the legal status of women in Canada has in fact been solved. The law doesn’t support inequality any more-the laws that used to hold women back have been rewritten, and the number of men and women that vote has been about equal since 1957. Even more proof is that the Canadian Government has declared the Persons Case a national historic event, which shows that they are still in agreement with all of the positive changes made in 1929.
The second stage continued to the mid-1990s, which also made significant with the addition of a new clause in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantees equality of all Canadians, without discrimination based on gender 8. Although, as Therese Parent and Lee Tunstall described, this is just seen as a formality because no piece of legislature can determine the actions of all Canadians 9. But as far as the law goes, there is no more that can be done than that.
The third stage is current and focuses on legal rights for women in other countries, because the legal status of women in Canada has in fact been solved. The law doesn’t support inequality any more-the laws that used to hold women back have been rewritten, and the number of men and women that vote has been about equal since 1957. Even more proof is that the Canadian Government has declared the Persons Case a national historic event, which shows that they are still in agreement with all of the positive changes made in 1929.