Originally published in TEACH Magazine, 75 Years of the Canadian Citizenship Act Special Issue, 2022
By Lynn Greiner
The issue of gender equality in Canada isn’t new. Women have been fighting for their rights since well before Canada was a country. Although total equality still hasn’t been achieved, legislators have been dragged, often kicking and screaming, closer towards equal rights for well over a century. The seemingly simple matter of citizenship is a prime example of this struggle.
The Citizenship Act that came into effect on January 1, 1947, was a good news/bad news piece of legislation for Canadian women. Before that date, there was no legal status for any “Canadian citizen” (Canadians were, legally, British subjects), no matter their gender, but women who lived in Canada still had fewer rights at the time than men.
Lynn Greiner is a freelance writer who has covered technology, history, business, and many other areas for more than 20 years.