Ladies, what a long way we have come in recent decades! It was barely 50 years ago that the articles in this newspaper would have been exclusively signed by men. If it was necessary to solicit a woman’s penmanship, the amount related to her work would have been entrusted to her father or her husband and the latter would have been forced to sign a male name in order to conceal her identity.
It was during World War II that the role of women in Canadian society began to change. Indeed, with Canada needing their support and contribution, they have been able to add more strings to their bow by being needed outside of their homes. Thus, they also exercised functions traditionally occupied by men and even served in the Armed Forces. As a result, the Canadian women rose to the challenge by contributing to the success of the Canadian Victory Campaign.
At the start of WWII, out of 11 million people, only 600,000 Canadian women held permanent jobs. Note that this figure doubled to 1,200,000 during the war. In addition, the level of employment peaked in 1943-1944 when 439,000 women were active in the service sector, 373,000 in manufacturing and 4,000 in construction.
Women and children under guardianship
Until recently, women were considered the same as children. They were the responsibility of their father, then their husband. For this purpose, as soon as they were married, they borrowed the last name of their husbands. It should be noted that they did not simply pass from Mademoiselle Lefort to Madame Dubois, they became, for example, Madame Bernard Dubois. As a result, they lost part of their own identity.
However, history also shows that although publicly and technically men were the ones who decided, in many cases their wives played a major role in decision-making.
The story of Marie-Anne Barbel
The entrepreneurial spirit is not unique to men and once again, history shows it. Historians have proven that Quebec’s first businesswoman dates back to the era of New France. Jean-Louis Fornel, husband of Marie-Anne, was the owner of several houses in Quebec City and its surroundings. The latter was also involved in the fur trade. He was often absent for long periods. During this time, his wife was in charge of his affairs. Following the death of Jean-Louis Fornel, his widow then took control of the business and she succeeded brilliantly in making the business prosper and especially in succeeding where her husband had failed.
Did you know that…
During the era of New France, a woman convicted of adultery was confined for a period of two years in a convent or in a hospital. The choice of place is up to the deceived husband. During this period of detention, her husband could visit her if he wished. When the sentence came to an end, the latter could choose to take her back or not. If he refused, she would therefore remain in detention until the end of her life. Her head was then shaved and she lost all her marriage rights.
In 1868, the enactment of the law prohibiting abortion stipulated that a woman who performs an abortion referring to an abortionist is liable to life imprisonment. In addition, women who voluntarily induced their abortions could face up to 7 years in prison.
Women rights
World War II changed history for many reasons including the role of women in society. It was at the same time, in 1940, that Quebec women, under the Godbout government, obtained the right to vote and the right to be elected provincially. Also, for the first time, women sit on the municipal council of the City of Montreal.
In 1945, the women of the province, thanks to the campaign established by Thérèse Casgrain, achieved that family allowances were not paid to fathers, but directly to mothers.
Certainly, during the last century, women have achieved major advancements, but it has been a long process. One small victory at a time, our ancestors cleared the way so that women today can live as equal with men. Of course, there is still some way to go, but history shows that our current reality has nothing to do with that of our ancestors.
