The term suffrage simply refers to the right to vote, but in Western society the Suffrage Movement has come to be identified specifically with women's right to vote. In North America the movement first came to prominence in the 1880's and initially was led by Icelandic women, who had enjoyed full voting rights in their native Iceland. They were joined by a variety of social reformers, male and female, who saw the vote as a means of ensuring that prohibition laws were passed. The agenda included reform of property laws, equal guardianship of children, new divorce laws, improved working conditions, better wages, and access to higher education for women.

Some suffragists argued the equality of all, while others argued that taxation without representation was unjust - women were compelled to pay taxes on the property they owned but did not have the right to elect a political representative.

In 1912, a number of prominent middle class reformers in Winnipeg founded the Political Equality League.

In 1914, the League secured a promise from T.C. Norris and the Liberal Party, that if elected, his government would move immediately to grant the vote.

Upon receiving petitions that totalled 40,000 names in 1915, Norris introduced suffrage legislation, which was passed in 1916. Manitoba became the first province in the Dominion to grant full voting privileges to women.