To Be Equals in Our Own Country

"When the history of suffrage is written, the role played by our politicians will cut a sad figure beside that of the women they insulted." Speaking in 1935, feminist Idola Saint-Jean captured the bitter nature of Quebec women's fight for enfranchisement-which they had to wage until 1940-as religious authorities weighed what they stood to gain or lose and politicians showed open disdain during debates. This passionate yet even-handed account is filled with vivid characters and pivotal events on the road to suffrage in the province. It examines Quebec women's participation in provincial and municipal politics since winning the vote and compares women's struggle to that in other countries. An astute exploration of suffrage, To Be Equals in Our Own Country treats enfranchisement-and the legal, social, and economic rights that stem from it-as a fundamental question of human rights.