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Mary Ellen Smith was the first woman to be elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in British Columbia, Canada. She was elected in 1918, during the provincial election that year. Smith was a member of the Liberal Party and represented the electoral district of Vancouver Centre. She served as MLA until 1928 and was also appointed as a cabinet minister, becoming the first woman in Canada to hold a cabinet position. Smith was known for her work on social welfare issues, including advocating for the rights of women and children.
Mary Ellen Smith was an advocate for women's rights and was heavily involved in the suffragette movement in British Columbia. She was a member of the Political Equality League and worked to secure the right for women to vote in provincial elections. Her efforts were successful and in 1917, the British Columbia government passed a law granting women the right to vote in provincial elections.
After her election in 1918, Smith became the first woman in British Columbia to hold a cabinet position. She served as Minister of Women's Suffrage and later as Minister of Municipal Affairs. In these roles, she worked to improve the rights and conditions for women and children in the province, including advocating for the creation of a provincial department of health and for legislation to protect the rights of working women. Additionally, she also worked to improve the conditions of women in prison, and advocated for the creation of a separate women's prison.
Smith's political career had a significant impact on women's rights and her legacy continues to be recognized in British Columbia today. She was inducted into the Order of British Columbia in 1989 and was named one of British Columbia's "100 most influential women" by the BC Women's Institute in 2000.
Timeline
The suffragette movement in British Columbia was a movement to secure the right for women to vote in provincial elections. The movement was led by a group of women's organizations, including the Political Equality League, of which Mary Ellen Smith was a member. The suffragette movement in British Columbia began in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and it gained momentum with the support of women's organizations, religious groups, and labor unions. The suffragettes used various tactics to advocate for the right to vote, including organizing marches, rallies, and petitions, as well as lobbying politicians and publishing articles in newspapers. The movement faced significant resistance from the government and some members of the public who believed that women were not fit for political office and that granting them the right to vote would be a threat to the traditional social order. However, the suffragettes were successful in their efforts, and in 1917, the British Columbia government passed a law granting women the right to vote in provincial elections. The suffragette movement in British Columbia was an important step in the fight for women's rights and political equality in Canada. It laid the foundation for women's participation in politics and helped pave the way for more women to be elected to public office.
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Reference: Article by (Staff Historian), 2023
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