Women’s Rights Making Headway (1937)

Imagine needing surgery but also needing your husband’s permission to have it, and he has the power to say no.

Here is an article from the Telegram, December 27^th, 1937. This story out of Montreal caught my eye titled: Women’s Rights Making Headway.

Here is the article:

The laws concerning women in the province of Quebec are still very antiquated, despite some few improvements that have been won by the efforts of women’s organizations, said Mrs. Leslie Bell, addressing the Women’s Conservative Association.

Mrs. Bell is a member of the Nova Scotia Bar but is not permitted by the laws of Quebec to practice her profession here.

“Married women, in Quebec are classed in law with minors and lunatics, and thus have little control over their property,” the speaker said.

“It seems to be the idea of our legislators that once a woman is married, she becomes incapable of looking after her own property.”

Mrs. Bell spoke of the importance of having a contract drawn before marriage, as it could not be made afterwards. Even with a contract, she said, the wife was limited to some extent in the management of her property.

A law passed in 1921 under persistent pressure from women’s organizations provided that the proceeds of a wife’s work and some other specified income was to be reserved to her.

This did not apply however to work carried on jointly by the consorts, the proceeds of such work being entirely under the control of the husband.

Mrs. Bell pointed out that women, married or single, may not serve as jurors in Quebec. They are excluded from several professions and from school boards. A woman who is divorced in Quebec cannot receive alimony, since divorce is not obtained through the courts but is granted by Parliament. Another strange situation Mrs. Bell’s thought arose from the fact an operation cannot be performed on a married woman without the consent of her husband.

“We are at least gaining a little headway.” She concluded, while women in certain European countries, such as Italy and Germany, are at the present time, being deprived of all rights which they have been struggling to obtain for centuries past.”

Well, there.. you have it. We’ve come a long way baby. And now they want us to walk backwards in heels.

Helen