The five women, known as the Famous Five, are Emily Murphy, Irene Marryat Parlby, Nellie Mooney McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney, and Henrietta Muir Edwards. -Ashton
Women in Canada gained the right to hold a seat in the Senate in 1929 with the Persons Case, where the Famous Five challenged the interpretation of the term "qualified persons" in the British North America Act. This landmark legal case confirmed that women were eligible for appointment to the Senate.
The Famous Five, a group of five Canadian women, played a crucial role in the fight for women's rights and suffrage in Canada. Their most notable achievement occurred in 1929 when they petitioned the Supreme Court of Canada to have women recognized as "persons" under the law. This landmark case, known as the Persons Case, took place in Ottawa. Their efforts significantly advanced women's rights in Canada, leading to greater legal recognition and equality.
The Famous Five, a group of women activists in Canada fighting for women's rights, achieved a significant victory when the Persons Case ruled that women were qualified persons to sit in the Senate in 1929. However, the individuals themselves continued to work on various feminist causes and continued to be influential in Canadian politics and society.
In 1917 women were not allowed to vote. The reason was that under the definition of "people" or "persons" the following were excluded- children under 21, patients of mental institution, prisoners, and women. Nellie McClung argued before parliament that women were indeed persons and won the right for women to vote.
The Famous Five identified a need for change in Canadian laws through their advocacy for women's rights, particularly in the context of legal recognition and equality. They were motivated by the 1929 Persons Case, which challenged the exclusion of women from being recognized as "persons" under Canadian law. Their activism highlighted the injustices faced by women, sparking national attention and leading to significant legal reforms that ultimately paved the way for greater gender equality in Canada.
Women, especially rich ones, were allowed to express opinions and to participate in debates at the forum. There is a well known case of an aristocratic woman who won a court case which involved defending her family's property. As a well educated woman she won the case with persuasive arguments. However, women were not allowed to vote or to run for public office.
Trent's Last Case - 1929 was released on: USA: 31 March 1929 Estonia: 15 May 1930
The Canary Murder Case - 1929 was released on: Germany: 1929 USA: 16 February 1929 (premiere) Finland: 4 November 1929 Austria: 1930 Portugal: 23 June 1930
In this particular case, more women than men may have been involved as both the accused and the accusers due to societal power dynamics, historical gender roles, and potential biases in the legal system.
The issue was not resolved by legislation. It was ultimately determined by a court case that went all the way to the Privy Council. Google "persons case" (and ignore "missing persons") to learn more about this landmark decision of the Privy Council. P.S. The five women were Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby. Your assignment now is to Google each of those five names and explain briefly why each woman was made a party to the court case.
She was a Canadian woman who contributed greatly to the women's liberation movement in Canada, and is on of the "famous five", five women who fought the first case for women to be called "persons". Before that day only men were included under that term.
In 1928, the Supreme Court of Canada was asked to consider whether women could be legally recognized as "persons" under the British North America Act of 1867. This question arose from the case of Edwards v. Canada (Attorney General), where the "Famous Five," a group of women activists, sought to have women included in the legal definition of "persons" to allow them to be appointed to the Senate. The Court ultimately ruled against them, stating that women were not considered "persons" under the law at that time. This decision led to significant public outcry and eventually contributed to the legal recognition of women as persons in Canada.