International Persons Day: Its Importance, Relevance Today, and Reflections on Afghanistan

International Persons Day: Its Importance, Relevance Today, and Reflections on Afghanistan

By: Harleen Shergill

Let’s go back to October 18, 1929. You might think this is just some other day on the calendar, but for women in Canada, it was the day they officially became “people” – at least according to the law. Yes, you read that right. Until this fight for equality, women were not considered in the legal definition of “person.” Although, we can now give thanks to five fierce women, now known as the “Famous Five,” a rightful name for their efforts. It was a group of women led by a judge named Emily Murphy, and the other members were Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby. They were suffragists who advocated for women and children through campaigns dating back to the 1880s. The fight for gender equality may have begun as a legal challenge, but the results were monumental.

Imagine trying to run for office or simply just vote and being told, “Sorry, you’re not actually a person.” Sounds absolutely ridiculous, right? However, this is precisely what Emily Murphy had to deal with. Murphy became the first female magistrate in the British Empire in 1916. On her first day on the bench in Edmonton, she was informed by a lawyer (obviously by a man, so no surprise there) that she had no legal right to be there since, according to the law, she was not a person; thus she was not welcomed by the Bar. Emily and the rest of the Famous Five decided enough was enough. If the law didn’t recognize women as “persons,” they were prepared to fight to change that. It was not an easy fight, and they lost in Canada’s Supreme Court, but they would not stop there. The Famous Five appealed to the British Privy Council (Canada’s highest court at the time), which eventually ruled that women were “persons” and could hold public office. Thank you very much!

This victory was not just about receiving a seat in the Senate; it was much more than that. This fight for advocacy has been about paving the way for women to be recognized as equal members of society. Thanks to these five powerful women, the beginning of a broader movement for gender equality started in Canada.

Well, you may wonder, why is this still relevant, like, who cares? Let’s fast-forward almost 100 years. As we celebrate International Persons Day in Canada, it’s not just about looking back at the past but also reflecting on where gender equality stands today—spoiler alert, it’s not all good news.

While Canadian women in 1929 fought for their rights to be a “person,” today in Afghanistan, women are battling a heartbreaking reversal of their fundamental rights. Since the Taliban has been back in power since 2021, they have introduced incredibly oppressive laws against women. They are banned from speaking or laughing in public. Yes, you heard that right – laughing!

Imagine living in the constant fear of expressing yourself through simple sounds. The fear of making sure you are silent in public, accompanied by a man, not showing skin. It’s a bizarrely dystopian twist to the global right for women’s rights. Where Canadian women fought for the right to speak and be considered people, just simply be considered human, Afghan women are being forced into silence quite literally. To be stripped of your own voice is a different kind of oppression and pain; to live without being able to speak up is something I couldn’t even imagine.

International Persons Day is a celebration of progress, but it is also a stark reminder that the fight for women’s rights is far from over. Progress is great, and the world has come a long way since 1929, but as you can see in Afghanistan, progress can be reversed and brought to a halt.

As you celebrate this year’s International Persons Day, take a moment to reflect on the Famous Five and what is happening around the world today. Focus on all the women who spoke up and fought for equality, and let’s continue to raise our voices so that women are never silenced again!