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Helena Gutteridge

Helena Gutteridge
Helena Gutteridge addressing "Post Office riot" demonstrators, Vancouver. 1938.
Born(1879-04-08)April 8, 1879
London, England
DiedOctober 1, 1960(1960-10-01) (aged 81)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
NationalityBritish born Canadian
Occupation(s)Tailor, Labour Activist, Suffragist, City councillor of Vancouver
Spouse
Oliver Fearn
​
(m. 1919⁠–⁠1928)​

Helena Gutteridge (8 April 1879 – 1 October 1960) was a feminist, a suffragist, a trade unionist and the first female city councillor in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Helena was recognized for being a pioneer in pushing for women's rights in British Columbia during a time when gender equality was not yet a prominent social movement and discourse.[1]

Born in Battersea, London, in Victorian England, Helena was the second daughter of the Gutteridge family. At the age of 14, Helena was denied access to further education due to social class and gender discrimination. To continue pursuing an education, Helena left home in the same year and gradually lost touch with her family.[2] From 1893 to 1911, while working as a tailor in London to support herself and to fund her education, Helena was also actively engaged with the female suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. She joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which provided her with ample political experiences and skills that laid the foundation of her political career.[3]

In September 1911, Helena set sail for the westernmost part of Canada.[4] She immediately became actively involved in the female suffrage movement in Vancouver and spent most of her time there helping women who faced economic hardships. After becoming a member of the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1932, Helena focused her career on campaigning for socialist policies in British Columbia as a response to the financial blow of the Great Depression.[5] In 1937, she became elected as the first female councillor to the City of Vancouver. During her time in office, Helena made government-subsidized social housing her priority. Most of her policies were oriented towards a socialist end. Helena won the re-election in 1939 but lost in both 1940 and 1941.[6]

Apart from having an active political career, Helena was also involved in social work. She became a support worker for the Japanese Canadian population at Lemon Creek from 1942 to 1945.[7] During her retirement years, Helena remained engaged with issues concerning women's rights despite fading away from the political scene.[8]

Helena Gutteridge was best remembered for her leadership in labour activism, contribution to the advancement of equal pay in British Columbia, election as the first female city councillor in Vancouver and her lifelong commitment to elevate the status of women.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
  3. ^ Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 38–47. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 193–233. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
  7. ^ Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 223–232. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.
  8. ^ Howard, Irene (1992). The Struggle for Social Justice in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press. pp. 240–259. ISBN 0-7748-0425-4.

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