In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Western Development Museum is putting the spotlight on one of the influential leaders of the women’s rights campaign in Saskatchewan in the early 20th century with a new virtual program now open for registration.
Violet McNaughton, journalist and women’s rights activist, was one of the leading voices in the campaign for women’s right to vote in Saskatchewan. She settled on a homestead near Harris, Sask. in 1909
As one of the first women journalists of her time, McNaughton used her column in The Western Producer to advocate for women, raising awareness about issues like access to birth control and healthcare, improving quality of life for women and children in rural areas, and women’s right to participate in the world outside the home.
She was the editor of the women’s section in The Western Producer for 25 years, and also served as the organizer and president of Women Grain Growers and the president of the Inter-provincial Council of Farm Women and Women’s Section of the Canadian Council of Agriculture.
McNaughton also served as a member of the Saskatchewan Equal Franchise League and the Saskatchewan Grain Growers’ Association, and she was a prominent voice for women on the prairies for decades.
Her dedication made her a leader among farm women, a figurehead in the Saskatchewan women’s rights movement, and a recognized influential woman in the history of both Saskatchewan and Canada.
The WDM’s new program is titled “Violet’s Saskatchewan - Violet McNaughton and early women’s rights on the prairies” and will explore McNaughton’s life as a journalist and activist, in the context of the larger issues that women were facing in the early 20th century.
The program will run from March 1-15, delivered via video. Registration is required for the online program, which opened on Feb. 10 and will remain available until the program ends.
“Violet’s Saskatchewan” is recommended for participants aged 16 years or older, as it discusses topics like birth control, eugenics theory and the forced sterilization of Indigenous women.
Registration costs are $15 per household for WDM members or Western Producer subscribers or $17 per household for non-members.
For more information or to register for the upcoming program, visit wdm.ca/violet.
