Idola Saint-Jean (May 19, 1880 – April 6, 1945) was a Quebec journalist, educator and feminist. She devoted her life to the pursuit of equal rights for women in Quebec and her efforts lead to women being given the right to vote in Quebec in 1940.

Life

Saint-Jean was born in Canada and taught in the French studies department at McGill University. She was secretary for the board of the Montréal Juvenile Court and was named to the Commission du salaire minimum des femmes du Québec in 1925. In 1927, Saint-Jean founded the Alliance canadienne pour le vote des femmes au Québec. She was among the group of women who met with Quebec prime minister

Louis-Alexandre Taschereau Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (; March 5, 1867 – July 6, 1952) was the 14th premier of Quebec from 1920 to 1936. He was a member of the Parti libéral du Québec. Early life Taschereau was born in Quebec City, Quebec, the son of Jean-Tho ...

to demand that women be given the right to vote. She returned before the Quebec National Assembly each subsequent year until 1940, when women finally won the right to vote. In 1930, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as an independent candidate in Saint-Denis, finishing third. Saint-Jean died in Montreal at the age of 64. In 2016, she was one of five finalist to be on Canadian banknotes, a competition closed to men. She ultimately lost to civil rights activist Viola Desmond.

Legacy

Monument en hommage aux femmes en politique 08

The Rue Idola-Saint-Jean in

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional coun ...

and Parc Idola-Saint-Jean in Montreal were named in her honour. The Prix Idola St-Jean is awarded by the

Fédération des femmes du Québec The Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ; English: "Quebec Women's Federation") is a feminist organization binding individuals and groups in a common goal to "promote and defend the interests and the rights of women and to fight against all forms ...

to a woman or group of women who have made a significant contribution to improving conditions for Quebec women. In March 1981, a Canadian stamp was issued depicting Idola St-Jean. In 2012, Quebec Premier

Pauline Marois Pauline Marois (; born March 29, 1949) is a retired Canadian politician, who served as the 30th premier of Quebec from 2012 to 2014. Marois had been a member of the National Assembly in various ridings since 1981 as a member of the Parti Québ� ...

unveiled a statue of Saint-Jean,

Thérèse Casgrain Marie Thérèse Casgrain, ., née Forget (10 July 1896 – 3 November 1981) was a French Canadian feminist, reformer, politician and senator. She was a leader in the fight for women's right to vote in the province of Quebec, as well as the first ...

and

Marie-Claire Kirkland Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, (September 8, 1924 – March 24, 2016) was a Quebec lawyer, judge and politician. She was the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, the first woman appointed a Cabinet minister in Quebec, t ...

. The statue by Jules Lasalle was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kirkland being made the first Canadian female minister.Monument to women in politics
Radio Canada, in French, retrieved 28 December 2014

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Jean, Idola 1880 births 1945 deaths Activists from Montreal Journalists from Montreal Canadian feminists Canadian women's rights activists Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Canadian suffragists Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery Women in Quebec