Social Activism of Nellie McClung - Essay Example

Enter here] [Your number] 11 April Nellie McClung The evolution of a woman’s place in society has been astounding and their achievements widespread and well deserved. Gone are the days, a man or anyone for that matter can say, “A woman’s place is in the kitchen” as these old fashioned traditions have long been worn and by now it is clear that a woman’s place is anywhere her ambitions desire. They have progressed significantly from the minority status that branded them from previous societal culture. Women everywhere have fought long and hard for their place in society, they have proven themselves and today they are recognized as government officials, CEOs, established professionals, sometimes the Head of their household and now have access to certain rights and privileges. Nellie McClung, a Canadian Activist is credited for the progress of the women in today’s Canadian society. She was the voice for the women who didn’t have the privilege to speak and her contribution to fighting for women’s rights is the reason they can obtain white collar jobs and favourable divorce and custody laws. 1She is famous for her superb humoured public speaking and determinant abilities to get women recognized and accepted as individuals who deserve equal rights and other privileges. 2 Nellie Letitia Mooney was a Canadian Feminist, suffragist, social reformer, legislator, author and politician.3 Born in Chatsworth on October 20th 1873, she was raised on a homestead in rural Manitoba and is an inspiration to women everywhere. Her father was an Irish Methodist and her mother a Scottish Presbyterian. Nellie McClung helped to shape the history of women’s rights in Canada. Inspired by Dickens’ novels she decided that she wanted to be the voice for the voiceless as Dickens’ was a defender for the weak. 4Cross referenced literature declared that Mooney started school at the age of 10 but by the age of 16 had received a teaching certificate and taught school, which was a highly respected profession for women at the time, until she wed Robert Wesley McClung, a pharmacist in 1896. The couple had four children and produced a fifth when they relocated to Winnipeg and from all sources seemed to have had a happy and productive marriage. McClung had contributed greatly to Canada actively campaigning for women’s suffrage, safety legislations, prohibition of the sale of alcohol, labour reforms, mother’s allowances, public health nursing, free medical and dental care for children, divorce laws and property rights.5 McClung had a rather extensive career profile; a rural school teacher, a published author, public speaker, politician and human rights activist-all of which are interconnected together and helped her to achieve victory in her campaigns. She was a part of numerous women’s rights group, all of which served unique purposes.6 It was during her time as a teacher, she learnt about the emerging social reforms in Manitoba and quickly became involved. By that time, she was already a member of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) for which her mother-in-law was President. The main role of the WCTU was to campaign for reforms relating to social and health problems caused by alcohol as well as social problems affecting women and children. She used it as a starting point for her developing activist and political career and by 1911 was actively campaigning for women to have the right to vote.7 McClung later lead a 1914 liberal campaign against Sir Rodmon Roblin’s conservative government which denied women the right to vote. In an effort to defeat him, McClung who is noted to be a very humoured public speaker decided to host a satirical play “the Women’s Parliament” which made fun at the dangers of giving men the right to vote. 8 Roblin was played by McClung and she impersonated him uproariously in her performance. Despite the re-election of Roblin’s government, they only served a short term. He was defeated by the suffragists and succeeded by the new Liberal government who gave women the right to vote in 1916 (except for Asian and first nation descents who didn’t vote until after World War II). McClung also co-founded the Manitoba Political Equality League in 1912 and the role of this organization was to help female wage earners and she was also a member of the Canadian Women’s Press Club.9 The strong head activist later joined the Edmonton Equal Franchise League and further in 1921 became a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.10 It was here she fought for mother’s allowances, divorce laws, property rights for married women and free medical and dental care for children. McClung managed to balance a flourishing writing career with her already blossoming political profession. Her first publication was ‘sowing seeds in Danny’ published in 1908 which became a national bestseller selling over a 100 000 copies and establishing McClung as a strong opinionated speaker. 11She found time to write another 15 publications along with magazine and newspaper articles. Nellie McClung lived and fought for a lot and because of that she accomplished a lot. She was the first woman appointed to the CBC’s Board of Governors and a member of the Famous or Valiant 5. McClung was regarded as one of Canada’s most important leaders of feminism and is still remembered for her role along with other members of the valiant five in the “Persons” case which in 1929 saw Canadian women being recognized as individuals eligible for being appointed to the Canadian senate. It was Emily Murphy, the commonwealth’s first female police magistrate and proposed candidate for senate who was denied such privilege as law didn’t recognize females as ‘persons’ eligible to sit in the senate.12 It was here that the famous 5 was born. Members of the valiant 5 included Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby and Louise McKinney. Together they campaigned for constitutional clarification and failed on their first attempt but victory was theirs the second time in 1929 when the British Privy Council ruled in their favour warranting women the right to run for senate. Nellie McClung has left a permanent success mark on Canada and even after her death in 1951 at age 78, her policies and accomplishments will endure for a long time to come. Works Cited Brown, Wayne. "Elections Canada On-Line | Electoral Insight ." Elections Canada. N.p., (1999). Web. 14 Apr. 2013. . "Career Highlights | Nellie McClung Foundation." Home | Nellie McClung Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. . Hallet, M.E.. "Nellie Letitia McClung - The Canadian Encyclopedia." The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. . Jeffery, Yvonne. "Nellie McClung." Calgary Herald-Search for our Greatest Citizen; Best of Alberta. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. < http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/features/greatest/story.html?id=fa143923-d97a-4e12-b5f3-e8d93caa3507>. "Nellie McClung, Women Suffrage and the Persons Case." canadianstudies. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. < http://www.canadianstudies.ca/NewJapan/mcclungunit.html>. Read More