Women’s right to vote in Canada

In 1916, women in Manitoba achieved the right to vote in provincial elections. This was a milestone in the fight for women's legal and political equality. However, the history of women's voting rights—both before and after 1916—is complex. Answer the questions below to learn more.

1. Women who fought for the right to vote at the beginning of the 20th century were known as .

women's libbers

suffragettes

anarchists

2. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, voting rights were granted to Canadian women "in a sporadic fashion." What does this phrase mean?

at irregular intervals

very late in history

reluctantly or grudgingly

3. In the first half of the 19th century, the law granted certain property owners the right to vote, regardless of their gender. Some women were therefore to vote, particularly in Lower Canada, until the law was changed to expressly exclude them.

illegible

eligible

ellegible

4. Emily Howard Stowe, one of the first female doctors in Canada, established the Toronto Women's Literary Club in 1876. A synonym of "doctor" is .

physicist

physician

philanthropist

5. In the 1890s, the leaders of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union supported voting rights for women because they believed that prohibition could be achieved only if women were able to vote. What does the term "prohibition" refer to?

a ban on the sale of alcohol

the right of married men to refuse military service

gender equality

6. In the late 19th and early 20th century, several mock parliaments were held to promote, and raise funds for, women's right to vote. What is a mock parliament?

a luncheon

a public auction

a simulation

7. In 1917, the federal government passed the War-time Elections Act, which granted certain women the right to vote. This was done in an effort to increase the number of voters likely to support conscription. What does "conscription" mean?

compulsory enlistment in military service

the right of women to serve in the armed force

a ban on alcohol

8. In 1929, Great Britain's Judicial Committee of the Privy Council that women were "qualified persons," which meant they could be appointed to the Senate.

eluded

concluded

precluded

9. Thérèse Casgrain spearheaded the suffragette movement in Quebec. A synonym of "spearheaded" is .

led

violently opposed

remained neutral in

10. is a formal word meaning "the right to vote."

referendum

plebiscite

suffrage