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Larissa Braga Ferreira

Mr. Cormier

English 111 – B – Informational texts

November 25, 2022

The Fight for Women’s Rights in Canada

“I want for myself what I want for other women. Absolute equality” was a statement

made by Agnes MacPhail, the first female member of the parliament in Canada’s history. This

quote displays women’s desire for equality within society in result of the suffrage they have

faced throughout the years. As time goes by incredible groups of empowered females use their

voices to fight against discrimination and sexism. As a result, in today’s society gender inequity

has been minimized, developing women to have the same rights as men and being free of

oppression from the government and politics. Women’s rights have given a voice to millions of

people in Canada by movements made towards ending inequality in working environments,

domestic violence, and equal education.

The disproportion of rights distributed in workplaces between genders in Canada is

concerning. This imbalance is mainly composed by the unequal pay between sexes, lack of

promotions/opportunities and sexual harassment towards females. “The term ‘Gender Pay Gap’

refers to the disparity in average incomes between men and women” (Lockhart, S). In certain

cases when the two sexes have the same role in a working position, men are likely to get a higher

salary sometimes this difference is composed of few dollars. It might seem slight, but if every

cent is combined for a longer period, it is possible to see a significant difference. Why can

women and men not receive an equal number of rights in the workplace? This question has been
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asked by many Canadian females. There have been various movements made against labour

laws, however the strike which made history in Canada happened in 1978, when the staff of the

Fleck Manufacturing [mainly composed by women], walked out of the industry in result of poor

treatment coming from supervisors and horrific working conditions. Those women had to deal

with circumstances like frequent usage of hazardous machines, injuries, presence of rats, extreme

temperatures, sexual assault from male managers and other inhuman conditions. “Everyone one

of us was scared to death,” said one of the strikers Mary Lou Richard, describing what the

women felt while the revolt was happening. In spite of that, after years of suffrage those women

came together and put an end to their oppression, they were victims of. This strike helped not

only the women from the Fleck Manufacturing, but it sparked the change of various labour laws

and encouraged others to stand up for their rights. In today’s society, working environments have

improved outstandingly, but there is still a fight for the gender pay gap. As women had to face

sexual assault in working places, there were cases where they had to face violence from male

supervisors; however, those men were usually strangers. In some cases, they had to face beatings

and abuse in their own households.

Domestic violence/abuse is not only composed of physical acts towards another person

but also emotional damage. “Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological

actions or threats of actions that influence another person.” (What Is Domestic Abuse?). Three

out of every ten women in Canada suffer from violence (Domestic Violence Statistics. Most are

victimized by an affectionate partner. In today’s society there are many resources available for

these cases like, support services mainly including shelters and transition houses. In earlier times,

women did not have the same accessibility as they do now, however their revolt had a voice in

society, grouping females to fight for their rights like the movement “Take Back the Night”
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which took place in 1970’s. This protest was focused on violence against women and spread

worldwide, helping millions of abuse victims. Violence in households was a major and common

circumstance in the late ninety’s, because of laws which made men superior to their wives. It was

not illegal to “punish” their partners because they were seen as the heads of the household. In

1982, the novelist and journalist, Margaret Mitchell confirmed to the house of commons “ each

year, one in ten husbands beat their wives regularly”. She was met with laughter in regard to her

statement, revealing the disrespect coming from the men in power and the need of absolute

change in society. Because men lacked respect for women, they also did not believe they were

worthy and capable of having an equal education as men, either children or adults in university.

Women have been seen as household servers for decades worldwide in result of female

discrimination. Men believed their role in society was to serve and take care of children rather

than having an education and jobs. This prejudice negatively affects numerous lives till this day,

such as males having a higher chance of getting scholarships, being accepted in certain

universities and other educational programs. All because of male privilege. Fortunately, Canada

is now known to have one of the most successful and equal education systems in the world. All

thankfully to the countless females who joined the fight for a better education in Canada, not

only for them selves but also for the further generations. In particular, Grace Annie Lockhart

made history in result of her hard work. She was the first female bachelor's degree recipient in

the British Empire. On May 25, 1875, she officially entered at Mount Allison University in

Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, earning a Bachelor of Science and English Literature

degree. Her discipline and courage helped her get through a burdensome time when women were

rarely accepted in any educational field. In Halifax, 1896, during her speech Lockhart inspired

innumerable women when she argued:

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"It may be true that women are not welcomed in these positions but still they come,

some on bicycles and some off, some with a great deal of noise and confusion, some

silently and earnestly. We cannot push this new woman off the track for hydra-like, a

dozen would rise in her place." (Lockhart, Sydney)

In view of the fact that these empowered females stood up for themselves for the right of

equality within schools; in today’s society women are free to join any educational programs as

well as men in Canada.

Millions of Canadians now have a voice thanks to efforts to reduce domestic abuse,

discrimination in the workplace, and inequity in education. Canada is now known to be a healthy

and safe country for its communities because it considers all genders to be equal. “Gender

equality and the empowerment of women and girls is not just a goal in itself, but a key to

sustainable development, economic growth, and peace and security” (Goal 5: Achieve gender

equality and empower all women and girls).The women’s rights movement is essential in today’s

society so history does not repeat itself and prevent that women will never be treated or seen as

any less than men in Canada.