How Successful Was The Women's Movement In The 1920s

Before the turn of the century, women had virtually no rights and a very minimal role in society. Despite the protests of the suffragettes, women did not have the right to vote and were still subject to unhappy marriages and limited types of employment. However, the women’s movement took off in the early 1900s. This movement was sparked by women’s participation in WWI, by the changing society of the 20’s, and by the public movement of the person’s case.

The women’s movement initially started with the role that women played in WWI. For example, working in factories for war production allowed women to become more involved, while having full time jobs for the first time. Women were also encouraged to become on site nurses overseas in the war zones. These nurses were called “bluebirds”. This was often encouraged at a young age since the average age for the bluebirds was 24 years old. (www.historylearningsite.co.uk) being nurses in the war zones gave women a chance to really become involved in the war but there were also downsides. The work was very mentally taxing on the women, and a total of 46 women lost lives, mostly because of the proximity of the hospitals to the front lines. (The Canadian challenge, pg.23) Women also had to “hold
down the fort” at home. Many women had to manage family farms, businesses and households while the men were away at war. In many ways this made women more self-sufficient and proved that they could manage just as well as men. Even after the war ended in 1918 and their husbands returned home, many women continued working (if only part time) throughout the 20s.

The women’s movement also rooted itself in society during the changing times of the post war “boom years”. For example, women began branching out more and started pursuing different sports and careers that previously would not have been considered acceptable for women. Few women were actually able to become lawyers and doctors because it was difficult to even be allowed to earn the qualifications for these occupations since few women had gone to university before this. Also, the “flappers” were a group of younger women who rebelled against the traditional behaviors of their parents and grandparents, thus changing the way the new generation of women would be viewed in society. The flappers were often recognizable by their different style of dress. They introduced “the boyish look” to Canadian society, wearing shorter dresses with deeper neck and back lines, and cutting their hair into short bobs. Different more eccentric dances were also developed at this time, many of which were eventually banned because they were considered vulgar and inappropriate by the older generation. Lastly, due to rallying in the Prairie Provinces the vote got extended to include women in three provinces. Even after the major boom of the post war years were over, many women were still motivated to change their role in society and the way that they would be viewed in society. The person’s case and surrounding events, really brought the seriousness of the women’s movement to the surface and was a major breakthrough for Canadian women.
Five women from Alberta (later known as The Alberta Five) took on a court of men in the Supreme Court of Canada to fight for their right to be considered “persons” and be eligible to be appointed senators. Even after being rejected by the Supreme Court of Canada the women were not discouraged. They took their case to the Privy Council in England, which at the time was the final appeals court for Canada. On October 18, 1929, the council ruled that women were “persons” and could become senators. This was the final step in bringing forth the issue of equality of the
sexes.

From modest beginnings the Women’s Movement has evolved into a recognizable force in today’s modern culture. And still, this whole movement began with women’s involvement in the First World War, the influence of a changing society, and a small town case turned national. However, even today the movement is not finished. On average, full time working women earn just 77 cents or every dollar a man earns (Barack Obama, Twitter). In the future women should be able to make this change so that there is more equality between men and women.

Bibliography

Quinlan, Don – Baldwin, Doug – Mahoney, Rick and Reed, kevin. The Canadian Challenge Don Mills: Oxford, 2008

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/women_in_1900.htm

Tierney, Ruth. Petticoat Warfare. Belleville: Mika, 1984

Adams, Simon. World War I New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2001

Munroe, Susan. “The Persons Case: A Milestone in the History of Canadian Women” http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/women/a/personscase.htm