March 5, 1996 Bie Press The herstory of the Canadian feminist movement by Andrew Carroll Over three hundred years ago, the colony of New France was founded. It would be the start of a nation totally different from any other nation; Canada was born. A country in which women played a formidable role in shaping it, both before and after confederation. In the society of New France, women had some power over their own lives. The women of New France had the right to vote if they held land, freedom from the fires of accusations of witchcraft and able to pursue careers other than childbearing and raising their families. In addition, the Ursaline Nuns set up schools for young women, so the women of New France were well educated. The female population was lower than the male population, which led to women having power in choosing their husbands. Often their husbands went on fur trading expeditions so the women had to take care of business while they were away. Women did physical labour such as plumbing, carpentry and some like, Magdeline de Vercheres, served and fought in the military. The New France legal system was based upon the Coutume de Paris, which was an egalitarian system in some respects; those women who were charged with adultery were often let go by judges, with little or no punishment. Also, because women were not severely punished for crimes, women involved in the black market thrived. The queens of this black-market were the Desaulnier sisters, who made a small fortune from selling illegal English goods. » The women of British North America (English Canada) were just as tough—they had to pioneer the untamed land. The British were stricter when it came to equality, because systematic discrimination was prominent in 19th century British culture. Confederationists were a sexist group of men, and they did not like the idea of universal suffrage. But in 1877, Dr. Emily Howard Stowe, Canada’s first woman physician, set up the Toronto Literary Club, a disguise for International Women's Day events by Joyce Robinson The Women’s Centre at Douglas College, N.W.T.U. Status of Women are ~ holding their Second Annual Community Dinner, celebrating IWD (International Women’s Day). March 8 at Venus Resturant (320—6th Street). From 4-Spm, greetings and social dinner. From 5:30 there will be speakers, poetry and an open mic, empowerment and networking. Call Yvonne Wheatley at N.W.T.U. Status of Women 527-8220; Douglas College, Women’s Centre 527- 5486; or Community Education 527- 8200 for tickets. $25. Don’t limit yourself to New Famous women in non-traditional jobs by Holly Keyes For centuries, women have been trying to break out of “women’s work” careers and into more non- traditional jobs. These non-traditional jobs include doctors, scientists and the trades, like technicians and machinists. Government initiatives for work equality and the quota systems have made it easier Westminster, there are many events happening the weeks surrounding IWD. March 7 Capilano College’s Campus Women’s Centre (2055 Purcell Way) is holding an open house, with snacks in room LB 137. From noon to 12:30. For more info call 986-1911 and ask for the Women’s Centre. : March 9 The Vancouver IWD ‘96 Committee’s annual IWD Women’s march and rally. Begins at 11:30 at the Hamilton/Robson corner of Vancouver Public Library’s main branch, heads to the First united Church at 320 East Hastings. There will be information tables, speeches and entertainment. Info on childcare, call Taylor at 873-8719. To book a table, or wheelchair attendants call Claire at 708-0447. March 9 The Phillipine Women’s Centre’s IWD event is titled “Building Solidarity Among Third World Women: Onward with the Struggle.” From 4- 10pm at St. Giles United Church (305 West 41st Ave.) All women are welcome. Call 322-9852 for more info. March 16 The Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers’ Rights is having a fundraising dance at Eagles’ Hall (748 Kingsway). There will be prizes and a no-host bar. Tix $10. Call Julie or Lorina at 874-0649 for info. for women to get into these careers, but there are still some barriers. Some of the barriers that are still in place are called job requirements—such as height and physical agility, and the ability to lift heavy loads. Other restrictions such as excluding women in their childbearing years because they might get exposed to harmful chemicals are said to be in place to protect women, but they also close jobs to the same women they are to protect. Still, there are women who do have non-traditional jobs. These are just a very few of the famous women who have succeeded: Ameila Earhart Earhart went missing on July 2, 1937. She was attempting an around-the-world flight when she disappeared. At the time, technology was booming with the miracle inventions of cars and planes. Earhart saw aviation as a liberation for women and helped keep up the momentum for feminism, even though there wasn’t an active women’s movement at the time. Amelia Earhart broadened the horizons of all women with her non-traditional lifestyle, suggesting that women could live life on their own terms and conventional barriers that were in place for overcome women in the 30’s. Roberta Bondar “T was not selected for this job because I was a woman. In the eyes of the scientists on the flight, I was selected because I was the feminist front and suffrage movement. The fight for suffrage had begun. The contribution women made in World War I and the support of organizations such as the Grain Grower’s Association led to prairie provinces granting voting rights to women in the spring of 1916. Western rural Canadian women were feminists because they worked as hard as their husbands on the farm. Women in Britain shocked the Victorian public by protesting and getting arrested. In 1918, Canadian prime minister, Robert Borden, finally granted voting privileges to women who had relatives in the military. This the best person to do this particular job.” —Roberta Bondar. move was primarily a political one to get himself re-elected. However, women were still not persons under the law and able to be appointed to the senate. In 1929 in a British court ruling, women were declared “persons” and able to sit in the senate. The 20s are known as the first wave of feminism. Women made a contribution to the Second World War as well. Many worked in the ammunitions factories and took up the jobs of their male counterparts just as women did in New France while their husbands were away on fur trading expeditions. The late 60s and 70s were a time of great social change. The feminist movement grew greatly, but it was not until 1985 did women get fair and equal treatment under the law, theoretically, of course. This era is know as the third wave of feminism. Women are still unequal to men. The law has been reformed but our society has not. This is the job of today’s women and men to bring on the fourth wave of feminism. Martha Roberts Photo A neurologist and researcher, Roberta Bondar flew on the space shuttle Discovery in 1992. She is currently working in conjunction with some universities in Ontario but the grant money will run out soon. Bondar is also the Chair of the Friends of the Environment Foundation—a non-profit organization striving to protect and improve Canada’s natural environment. Maria Agnesi (1718-1799) Born in Milan, Italy, Agnesi was the first great female mathematician in Western culture. She was a precocious child—at 9 she translated a discourse into Latin defending higher education for women and at |1 had mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, German and her native Italian. By her teenage years she was well versed in logic, philosophy, chemistry, botany, mineralogy, celestial mechanics and other scientific disciplines. In 1748, she won world-wide acclaim for the publication of her greatest work—Istituzioni ana litichad us della gioventu italiana—which gave a masterfully written integrated treatment of math ranging from algebra to the newly emerging calculus. She wrote the book in Italian rather than Latin so younger students could access the information.