Celebrating Women's Right to Vote in Manitoba

 

"Nice women don't want the vote," said the 9th Premier of Manitoba, Rodmond Roblin, during a heated exchange with women's rights activist Nellie McClung in the early 1900's.

It's also the title of the Manitoba Museum’s new exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote and hold public office in Manitoba, which was officially signed into legislation on Jan. 28, 1916.
                                                                                                                              
The Manitoba Museum teamed up with Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, Janice Filmon and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) to host a number of events today on Jan. 28, 2016 to educate students on this milestone.      

Among the speakers were Filmon and Canada's 19th Prime Minister, Kim Campbell -- who was the first and so far, only female Prime Minister of Canada.

Campbell says speaking to students and educating young people is a key to advancing women’s rights.

“Students are still young and still finding their way," said Campbell." They're open, they're intelligent, they're interested and they're going to be carrying the torch so we need to make sure they are well equipped to do so."

Two students in attendance were Cameron Armstrong and Gillian Besko. Both are in grade 10 and are founding members of a feminist club at St. Mary's Academy they call "Step Forward."

Besko says it was inspiring to see Campbell and Filmon speak today.

"It was very interesting to see women who have made that journey all the way to the top," said Besko. "With Justin Trudeau’s 50/50 cabinet it's getting better, but politics is still a very male dominated field."

Both Besko and Armstrong acknowledge, though, that men can play an important role in helping women achieve equality in every aspect of society.

"We've been in contact with other schools like Shaftesbury and St. Paul's," said Armstrong. "We’re hoping by having both genders represented it will show that this is everybody's problem, not just women."

"It's important to have more than one perspective on these issues," added Besko. "We have the all-women perspective but we want to spread it so men can have as much of an understanding of this problem as women do."

Male involvement in the womenSs rights movement was something Campbell stressed as well. She says men need to understand there's nothing un-masculine about supporting women and the women's rights movement isn't about pitting men against women, it's about working together to help achieve equality.

"Every successful woman will tell you there are likely men in their lives who have made a big difference for them," she said. "We shouldn’t elbow men off stage, because they’re important partners and collaborators."

Campbell also says it is worth noting that not all women and people got the right to vote in 1916, as most minorities were not able to vote until after 1940, and indigenous people didn't gain the vote until 1960.

The students toured the Manitoba Museum in the morning then went to the CMHR in the afternoon. The Nellie McClung Foundation is also hosting a gala tonight (Jan. 28, 2016) at the RBC Convention Centre to highlight women who have followed in McClung's footsteps through work in social justice, women's rights and human rights.

Nice Women Don't Want the Vote is running at the Manitoba Museum until April 10, 2016. The CMHR has a number of exhibits dedicated to the women’s suffrage movement on display as well.