Nellie McClung: The Road to Equality

By: Lucy Chen

For centuries, women and girls have often been overlooked by society. Following the Enlightenment movements, women began advocating for equal rights and opportunities on a scale never before seen. The road to equality and justice was long and difficult, and even today, the fight continues. Although there have been countless women that have changed the world for the better, today we will be focusing on Canadian author, activist, and suffragette Nellie McClung.

Nellie McClung was born on October 20, 1873 as Helen (Nellie) Letitia Mooney in the small town of Chatsworth, Ontario. Nellie was the youngest of six children; she had two sisters and three brothers. When she was born, her eldest brother Will was recorded to have claimed it a pity, reasoning that boys were useful but that girls did not contribute anything to society. Although his remarks were typical and accepted in the 19th century, it shows how far women have come throughout the years. Little did Will know that his sister would become one of the most prominent figures in Canadian and world history.

In 1880, Nellie Mooney and her family moved to Manitoba. Just nine years later, she would become a teacher at the age of sixteen, quite a challenge to her brother’s words! A year later, she met Annie McClung, a social reformer. Nellie married her son Robert Wesley McClung six years later, though not without hesitation. Nellie wished to become an author, and she knew that married life would clash with her dreams. Luckily, Robert McClung assured her that he would not stand in the way of her career, and that he would support her. Robert McClung was true to his word, and Nellie McClung was ambitious as ever. In 1908, she published her first novel, Sowing Seeds in Danny, which became a bestseller. The couple would also go on to have five children.

Nellie McClung went on to give public speeches about women’s rights and suffrage, winning supporters with her persuasive and comical arguments. Advocating for women’s rights was not easy, women and activists everywhere faced ridicule for speaking out against injustices, and Nellie was no exception.

Despite the challenges and hardships, in 1916, the province of Manitoba granted women the right to vote. Later that same year, women were granted the vote in the province of Alberta. Victory was near not just for Nellie McClung, but for all women and girls. Just one year later, Canada recognized the right of certain women, more specifically mothers or wives of servicemen, to vote federally. Although this ignored all other women, it was still a step in the right direction. With her quick wit and truthful words, she was elected as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1921.

However, even with so many changes in just a few years, it would not be until eight years later, in 1929, that women in all of Canada won legal recognition as “persons” and could vote federally. I feel it is important to note here that Nellie McClung did not reach this achievement alone; she did so with the group of feminists and suffragettes known as the Famous Five. The Famous Five was made up of Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and of course, Nellie McClung. Each of these women, along with countless others, made it possible for women to have the same legal rights as men and open the conversation on gender equality.

Over a century later, the influence and legacy of Nellie McClung is still alive. She was and still is a role model to all women and girls; she proved that women and girls have the same rights as men and boys. Through her actions, we can also see that a woman can make her own way in life, and that having a fulfilling career and a healthy family life are not mutually exclusive. Although the fight for women’s rights is still ongoing, through these victories, it is clear that power comes from within ourselves, and no one can take it away.

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To read more about Nellie McClung:

Burton, Betty. “Nellie McClung.” Manitoba Pageant: Nellie McClung, www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/pageant/20/mcclung.shtml.

Hallett, Mary E. “Nellie McClung.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 1 Apr. 2008, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nellie-letitia-mcclung.

Nellie McClung. www.britannica.com/biography/Nellie-McClung.

“Nellie McClung: Feminist 1873-1951.” Canadian Personalities - Nellie McClung, www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/biographi226e.html.