CHC2D Culminating Activity: “SPEAK” Source: The Grain Growers’ Guide, 26 February 1913. Content In the cartoon, a distinguished-looking man commands a woman, acting like a dog, to “SPEAK!” while she displays a dog-like attraction to the “vote for women.” This depiction is comparable to dog owners using treats to control their dogs. Essentially, it illustrates a power imbalance, dehumanizing women as animals seeking approval from men. The source of this cartoon is The Grain Growers’ Guide article from February 26, 1913, which features a section about women’s right to vote and words from Nellie McClung. McClung explains that women did not speak out because they were never spoken to, emphasizing gender inequality, especially regarding child ownership and the shame of separation. …show more content…
By 1913, the movement had begun to campaign for voting rights and other important causes. In the cartoon, the man represents Saskatchewan Legislature Premier Scott, who “expressed himself as in favor of extending the franchise to women, but did not care to enact the necessary legislation until the women of Saskatchewan asked for it” (The Grain Growers’ Guide). The woman in the cartoon is Violet McNaughton, president of the Women Grain Growers and founder of the Provincial Equal Franchise Board, which provides Saskatchewan suffragists with an outlet to have their voices heard. During the Great War in 1917, Prime Minister Borden, needing support for conscription, passed the “Wartimes Election Act,” granting voting rights to women in the armed forces and female relatives of military men. Although this was not rooted in a genuine support for women’s suffrage, it set the stage for 1918, when female citizens aged 21 and above were granted the right to vote federally. Comment: The overall message is that women will not receive their right to vote unless granted by men. The cartoonist highlights the gap in