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The Fight for the Vote
Women wanted the same rights as men, but the major fight was for the right to vote. Women in New Zealand were allowed vote in national elections by 1893 and in Australia by 1902. The Women’s Suffrage group fought hard for political rights. January 27, 1914 Nellie McClung and several 100 women met with the Premier in Manitoba. They had a petition to demand the right to vote. The next night, the women had a mock parliament in Winnipeg at the Walker Theatre. They reversed the roles – men were asking for the vote. “If men are given the vote,” she says “they will vote too much. Politics unsettles men. Unsettled men mean unsettled bills – broken furniture, broken vows, and divorce . . . Men cannot be trusted with the ballot. Men’s place is on the farm.” This was one of the lines said in the play. They poked fun at the men. The play was a success, they were asked to perform again and the money was used to fund the campaign. The Premier and the government were embarrassed after the performance. In 1915, the Manitoba Premier allowed women the vote and on January 27, 1916, the bill was passed. Two months later, the same bill was passed in Saskatchewan and Alberta. British Columbia and Ontario passed the bill the next year. All the provinces passed the bill except for Quebec (it was passed in 1940).
Women wanted the same rights as men, but the major fight was for the right to vote. Women in New Zealand were allowed vote in national elections by 1893 and in Australia by 1902. The Women’s Suffrage group fought hard for political rights. January 27, 1914 Nellie McClung and several 100 women met with the Premier in Manitoba. They had a petition to demand the right to vote. The next night, the women had a mock parliament in Winnipeg at the Walker Theatre. They reversed the roles – men were asking for the vote. “If men are given the vote,” she says “they will vote too much. Politics unsettles men. Unsettled men mean unsettled bills – broken furniture, broken vows, and divorce . . . Men cannot be trusted with the ballot. Men’s place is on the farm.” This was one of the lines said in the play. They poked fun at the men. The play was a success, they were asked to perform again and the money was used to fund the campaign. The Premier and the government were embarrassed after the performance. In 1915, the Manitoba Premier allowed women the vote and on January 27, 1916, the bill was passed. Two months later, the same bill was passed in Saskatchewan and Alberta. British Columbia and Ontario passed the bill the next year. All the provinces passed the bill except for Quebec (it was passed in 1940).