Equal and educate people of the struggles
Equal rights for everyone, no matter what race, culture, gender or religion, should be sworn by.
Throughout the years, there have been many people who have had to prove their right to equality. The most significant being women and the Indigenous people. Both found ways to stand their ground after enduring in treatment where they were looked at as less than. Less than men, less than people and even, less than Canadians as a whole.Indigenous people were treated unfairly because of their culture and how they live. The government felt that they had to be regulated to be more Canadian. Imposed in 1876, the Indian Act was passed to regulate Indigenous people into the “perfect Canadian” mold. The assimilation policy outlined that: children of indigenous homes were to be taken into residential schools, around 600 km from their homes.
While there they were forced to only speak English, their hair was cut and they were given new names. They also could not participate in any ceremonies or festivals corresponding to their culture. As the Indigenous people endured in that, many efforts were made to apologize, after the fact.
As Prime Minister, Stephen Harper made a public apology. Newly, Justin Trudeau publicly promised to pledge millions of dollars to build infrastructure for freshwater and build schools in Indigenous areas. Lastly, “Heritage Minute” was a commercial, funded and promoted by the Canadian government to create awareness and educate people of the struggles that the Indigenous went through.
In 1960, Indigenous people were granted the right to vote in federal election. In the early years of the 20th century, woman in Canada had limited rights and freedoms. Woman did not have the right to vote and were not even considered “persons” in terms of rights and privileges. Many women in Canada wanted to ban alcohol (prohibition) because of its negative affects on families and societies. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was the leading prohibition organization. The WCTU believed that woman needed the right to vote in order to achieve their goal.
Nelly McClung, an author, wife of a Manitoba pharmacist and political activist, began a crusade in Manitoba to attain the right to vote for woman in Canada. McClung was an amazing public speaker who used humour in order to turn the arguments against female suffrage. McClung and others performed a “Parliament of Woman” that demonstrated the absurdity of the logic used against granting women the right to vote. Manitoba women were granted the right to vote in 1916. Followed by woman across Canada being granted the right to vote by 1917. Once given the right to vote, they became eligible for parliament. Agnes McPhail was the first female Member of Parliament in 1921.
Women became more self-sufficient after the 19th Amendment to the constitution had guaranteed their right to vote, as their participation in the work force in increased. Women’s roles, their views, and the way they were perceived took a drastic shift towards gender freedom and equality.Pierre Trudeau defined a just society as one that is equal to everyone despite race, religion, culture or gender. I feel that no one society can ever be just. There is always bias towards any one person, not only because of there beliefs, but there choices. Though, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states the right of all citizens to vote, there are still discriminants. For example, the gap in women’s vs men’s pay.
Women make less than men who have the same job position as them, the gap widens with race. Gay rights are also still not completely accepted and racism still exists. In conclusion, equal rights have been defined differently in the past and have come to a non-discriminatory space. The Indigenous are respected, as are there beliefs and cultures. Women are almost seen as equal to men, as we close the gap. A just society is for the people and not for one’s benefit, and we benefit from being a united front as Canadians.
