Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iAALBsR06847; Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:11:54 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:11:54 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <A43C552CCAD3D34686401CF16C9E6032017A6A29@MAIL1.AD.Brown.Edu> Errors-To: listowner@nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Isserlis, Janet" <Janet_Isserlis@brown.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:3064] women, persons X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2310 Lines: 26 Dear all Meant to have sent this some time ago; think it might be of particular interest now as we consider the state of civil liberties, ESOL civics and general participation in communities and the ways in which literacy and language work supports discussion of all of the above. forwarded, with permission, from another list: As I write this, it is still technically October 18th. where I am. Today is the 75th. anniversary of "Persons Day" in Canada. A little background: On October 18, 1929, the British Privy Council decided that women were "persons" under Canadian law, and therefore eligible for appointment to the Senate. This decision was rendered after a lengthy legal and political struggle, known as the "Persons Case." Up until that time, English Common Law had held that "women are persons in matters of pains and penalties, but are not persons in matters or rights and privileges". That is, until five Alberta women -- known as "The Famous Five" -- joined together for the lengthy legal and political battle known as the Persons Case. The Persons Case is a legal history milestone in Canada. Five women from Alberta (Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy and Irene Parlby), known as the Famous Five, asked the Supreme Court of Canada to declare that women were persons under the law; after the Supreme Court turned them down, they appealed to the British Privy Council. The Privy Council found for the women on October 18, 1929, declaring that women were persons under the law. The Famous Five achieved not only the right for women to serve in the Senate, but they and their many contributions paved the way for women to participate in other aspects of public life and the assertion of women's rights is now honoured by the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case. "Never retract, never explain, never apologize - get things done and let them howl." Nellie McClung The information about the Persons Case and the Famous Five is generally available and can be forwarded at will. If you want to do a little more research on your own, here are some URLs that will help: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/05/0530_e.html http://www.canuck.com/famous5/html/biographies.html http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/women/a/personscase.htm
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