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 prolonged fight for the right to vote. To Be Equals in Our Own Country is a passionate yet even-handed account of the road to suffrage in Quebec, comparing women’s struggle to movements in other countries and examining their political participation since winning the vote in 1940. This astute exploration of enfranchisementrightly recognizes suffrage as a fundamental question of human rights.