Franchises Lost and Gained: Post-Coloniality and the Development of Women’s Rights in Canada

• Main Author: Skeet Charlotte Helen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centre for Studies on Federalism 2017-12-01
• Series: Perspectives on Federalism
• Subjects: women’s rights; pre-Confederation; franchise; indigenous women; constitutions
• Online Access: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/pof.2017.9.issue-3/pof-2017-0024/pof-2017-0024.xml?format=INT

The Canadian constitution is to some extent characterised by its focus on equality, and in particular gender equality. This development of women’s rights in Canada and the greater engagement of women as political actors is often presented as a steady linear process, moving forwards from post-enlightenment modernity. This article seeks to disturb this ‘discourse of the continuous,’ by using an analysis of the pre-confederation history of suffrage in Canada to both refute a simplistic linear view of women’s rights development and to argue for recognition of the Indigenous contribution to the history of women’s rights in Canada.