October is Women's History Month: Women must continue to speak out for equality

By Stephanie Smith, BCGEU Treasurer

Every year when October rolls around, I am reminded of the struggles that women have endured over the years in our quest for justice and equality. And why our work is far from over.

Working families today are struggling, and families headed by women are struggling the most.  Women continue to be among the poorest of the poor in our province, and the risk of poverty is greatest for Aboriginal women, immigrant women, women with disabilities, single mothers, and senior women living alone.

In communities across the province, women and their children are continuing to try to dig out from a decade of cruel and vicious attacks by the BC Liberals. 

These include massive cuts to services that specifically impact women—legal aid, women’s centres, seniors’ care, welfare, disability benefits, education and training, victims’ services, violence in relationship programs, human rights—as well as the elimination or contracting out of thousands of family-supporting jobs, and the freezing or rolling back of wages, benefits and working conditions.

And it's not just what the government has done—it's what it hasn't done.  And top of my list is child care.  Those who know me, know that I am particularly incensed that BC still has no plan to meet the needs of working families, no plan to ensure infants and toddlers have access to quality care, and no plan to recognize the impact of full school day kindergarten on child care.

BC families face a crisis in accessing quality, affordable child care. Fees are too high — the second highest family expense after housing. Wait lists are too long, with a regulated space for only about 20 per cent of BC children. And, the wages of college trained early childhood educators are too low, forcing many to leave the field to earn a living wage.

Publicly funded, universal child care programs for young children are long overdue.

I am proud of our union and our activists.  Together, we made many significant changes and improvements in our union, in the workplace and in society.  But I am furious at this government.

And I'm not the only one.  Everywhere I go, women tell me how concerned they are about the growing inequality in our society.  How concerned they are for their futures and for their children's futures.  But they also tell me how important it is for women to turn our fear into hope.  And our anger into action. 

I am reminded of the struggles of women before me who had the courage and the fortitude to forge new paths for women by challenging the status quo.  These were women who defied all odds by breaking through barriers to our equal participation in society.

October was chosen as Women's History Month because it is the month in which Canadian women became "persons" under the law.

In 1927, five Canadian women petitioned the Supreme Court of Canada for an interpretation on whether women were “qualified persons” in section 24 of the British North America Act (1867) for appointment to the Senate.  The Supreme Court ruled the term “qualified persons” did not include women. 

These “Famous Five” women—Irene Parlby, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Louise McKinney—appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England.

On October 18, 1929, the British Privy Council overturned the Supreme Court decision, ruling that women were “persons” under Canadian law, and therefore eligible to be members of the Senate.

But women’s herstory in Canada began long before the Persons Case, and continues today.  Here’s a sample:

• In 1875, Grace Annie Lockhart was awarded a bachelor’s degree in Science and English Literature from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick – the first degree awarded to a woman in Canada, and indeed the British Empire.

• Also in 1875, Dr. Jennie Trout became the first licensed woman physician in Canada (she earned her medical degree in the U.S.).

• In 1917, BC women gained the right to vote in provincial elections.

• In 1918, Mary Ellen Smith was the first woman elected to the BC legislature.  That same year, women in Canada gained the right to vote in federal elections.

• In 1921, Agnes Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons.

• In 1965, Grace MacInnis was the first BC woman elected to the House of Commons.

• Dr. Marion Powell was instrumental in establishing the first municipally funded birth control clinic in 1966.  She is known as the mother of birth control in Canada.  Three years later, the Criminal Code was amended to remove, as an offence, the dissemination of information relating to birth control.

• In 1972, BC elected its first black woman to the legislature – Rosemary Brown.

• Pauline Jewett became the first woman appointed President of a university in Canada (Simon Fraser University) in 1973.

• Marion Ironquil Meadmore became the first aboriginal Canadian woman admitted to the bar (Manitoba) in 1977.

• In 1991, the BC NDP government instituted the first stand-alone Ministry of Women's Equality in Canada, with Penny Priddy as its minister.

In our own union, we have made significant gains for women through contract negotiations, lobbying efforts and public awareness campaigns, and in some instances have set standards for other working women. 

We have fought for pay equity, for healthy and safe workplaces, for an end to sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying, and for the right to be treated as equals by our employers and co-workers.

The BCGEU was the first union to address the issue of pregnant women working with VDTs.  We have fought for—and been successful—in making significant improvements to maternity, parental and adoption leave, and leave to care for children and dependents. 

In September 1999, the BCGEU won a lengthy sex discrimination case in the Supreme Court of Canada for Tawney Meiorin.  This victory that has tremendous implications for all women, especially in non-traditional roles, and re-writes the law on discrimination in Canada.

It's no accident the BCGEU has a long, proud history of advancing the rights of women.  We're a strong union because we are made up of strong union women. 

We've come a long way.  In 1976—35 years ago—women made up 36 percent of our total membership and held just 20 percent of the leadership positions.  Today, women comprise over two-thirds—67 percent—of our total membership and 61 percent of our elected officers and stewards.

Our commitment to women's equality and empowerment in our union has made a real difference.  Our history is rich with victories—both large and small—thanks to the tireless efforts of countless activists over the years. 

But our work is far from over.  We must continue to fight the regressive policies of the BC Liberals.  We must continue to speak out for justice, for equality, for dignity and respect.  We need to make our voices heard—in our workplaces, in our union, in our communities, and at the ballot box.

Stephanie Smith is Treasurer of the BCGEU and Chairperson of the Provincial Executive Women’s Committee.