Although the glory of the first world war goes to the men that fought overseas, the effort that women put forth to provide a foundation for the Canadian war effort deserves similar recognition. The image of female nurses, and factory workers come to mind when considering the women’s war effort however this is not proportionately accurate. In her article regarding women’s, and children’s lives during the great war, Amy Shaw illustrates that “non-combatant, voluntary, charitable, stay-at-home roles comprised the bulk of Canadian women’s contributions to the dominion’s war efforts”[1]. It was efforts like these put forth by english speaking Canadians and First Nations women that allowed for a successful war campaign. The timing of equal rights movements toward achieving the right to vote for women and selective First Nations people in Canada coincidentally aligns well the war efforts of the time.
Between 1916 and 1917 in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia women were granted the right to vote in provincial elections[2]. This was the first turn towards equal rights for women in Canada, and it happened right in the middle of the first world war. Taking into consideration the timing of events, and the diverse roles they played mentioned above during the war women may have just proven themselves equal.
English speaking Canadian women were not the only group to put forth a strong effort in support of Canadian troops. Indigenous women from the Six Nations band worked tirelessly in order to provide comforts to soldiers that the Army would not provide[3]. At this time the right to vote was not granted to First Nations people unless they gave up their Native status, however the war did resulted in one exception. First Nations men and women that volunteered to go overseas for the war were granted special rights to vote[3]. This is where a trend emerges; at the time of the war both women and indigenous people were not allowed to vote. A significant sacrifice made in part by these groups appears to have been what turned the tide towards more equal voting rights.
We now see the right to vote, as an inherent right of being Canadian, at the time however this was far from the truth. A sense of unity that the war created may have been what convinced legislative powers to grant the right to vote to those who were seen as unequal. If it is this sense of unity that led to changes, Canadians must consider the implications of requiring people to “earn” their rights, as opposed to them being inherent. This seems especially relevant in the current global political climate that is bringing many newcomers to Canada.
