Technolandy

Day 32 (of 2024/25) #personsday in Canada – and thanks to @Buzzfeed for a share

It was October 18th, 1929 that the government of canada finally recognized women as “persons”. It has not yet been a hundred years since this attempt at gender equity… and pretty clear that we haven’t reached equity quite yet…

As a father of two girls, I hate reading articles like this one from BuzzFeed https://apple.news/AU9mrAoVyTNmBPZgdbPzRzA that shows the many different perspectives of daily life that I don’t have (but at least am aware of… not least of which one happened not too long ago when going to the bank with my daughter, as we came out we had a stranger ask if we would mind just waiting for a bit while she went to the ATM because she was nervous about some others who had been inside the bank lobby for… ‘awhile’. I got it right away and we happily chatted outside while she did her business and got on her day. Being a ‘person’ doesn’t end discrimination and bias…

So some safety tips that still exist:

1. Don’t wear clothing that shows where you go to school/work; or if asked, say that you thrift it… 
2. Travelling solo? Indicate that you have 1-2 guests with any reservation
   1.  Make sure at a hotel that your room number is not said out loud (again, good for all of us)
   2. Wear a wedding ring
   3. In an uber, fake a call letting ‘them’ know you’re on your way to meet up with them
   4. Don’t highlight you’re travelling alone
   5. Lock the deadbolt
3. Don’t take the same route when going home
4. Lock car doors when you get in (good for all of us)
5. If grabbed, relax all your muscles simultaneously as it will make ‘dead weight’ which is much harder to maneuver than ‘fighting weight’ (again good for all of us)
6. Don’t stand too close to the curb.
7. Don’t help a stranger (not even a kid asking for help) on your own.
8. Deflect strangers by saying you have a boyfriend (even if you have a girlfriend or no partner whatsoever) It’s more likely to deter them – sad and sexist, but true.
9. Walking? Avoid dark areas and walk with purpose 

Yes, these suggestions are still needed – and my daughters (but not my son) have each shared stories of gender bias and comments and even touches that I hope I never did in my youth… 

From the Prime Ministers office: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2024/10/18/statement-prime-minister-persons-day#:~:text=“Today%2C%20we%20celebrate%20Persons%20Day,be%20appointed%20to%20the%20Senate.

And it should be noted that it was the Supreme Court that in 1928 ruled that women were NOT persons… https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/persons-case so it’s not like the good old days were good for ‘all’! As our country evolved, it wasn’t until 1917 when Black women could vote… but only if related to Black servicemen… Canadians of Asian heritage got the right to vote a little earlier – 1898 but there was definitely racial segregation as Chinese Canadians were explicitly denied the right by a federal act in 1885.

It was Agnes Macphail who was the first woman elected to the House of Commons in 1921, but could not go to the Senate – that was ‘boys only’. In fact a ‘qualified person’ in early canada meant you were over 30 years old, owned property worth at least $4k, and ‘person’ intrinsically meant ‘male’ not everyone. The challenge to the BNA Act (British North America Act which created the understanding of what Canada would become) came from “The Famous Five” (Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinnmey, and Henrietta Muir Edwards). Basically pushing the wording about who could be appointed to the senate… had to be a person, so if a female was being appointed… they would have to also be defined as a person… great argument! So of course in 1928 the Supreme Court said ‘no’ (and probably later helped Margaret Atwood create Gilead for her books) 

Watch a Heritage Minute on YouTube  

But at the time, as the constitution did not become Canadas until 1982 (hmmm is this the real date that Canada became an independent nation?) there was an appeal above the Supreme Court – the Privy Council in London. And Lord Sankey made it clear that “exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours… and to those who ask why the word [persons] should include women’s, the obvious answer is why should it not?” How forward thinking….

This is an example of why we continue to equity scans looking for/at systemic bias and discrimination. My daughters should not have to worry about going for a walk at night. Nobody should have to wait for an extra set of eyes when going to a bank machine… we shouldn’t care about who others fall in love with ~ even if it’s of the same gender … persons should all have the same rights and options no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. Let’s celebrate and acknowledge Persons Day that “a persons a person no matter how small” and should be able to vote… hold office… and have respect no matter their political stance… religious belief… who they love… what they read. Every person matters – but especially those who have not had the same privileges many of us have experienced without necessarily being mindful of those privileges.  

Happy Persons Day!