Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie
La Femme et le Code Civil
By: Maya Zuzek
Maya Zuzek
Historical Contributor
Maya has been captivated by history long before her days studying History and Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her work often reflects that enduring curiosity, an interest she continues to nurture alongside a dynamic career in communications and marketing. With over a decade of experience in digital strategy and data storytelling, she thrives on uncovering stories, whether in archival research, client campaigns, or the pages of a well‑loved book. Outside of work, she’s happiest exploring new cities, savouring good food, or catching the energy of a live concert.
In the late 1800s, Quebec was a society deeply rooted in tradition, where the Catholic Church held immense influence over politics, education, and daily life. Industrialization was beginning to reshape the economy, but French Canadian women had few opportunities beyond domestic life. The province’s political system, closely aligned with religious authorities, resisted progressive change, reinforcing rigid gender roles and limiting women’s rights. In this climate of social and institutional conservatism, a new generation of women began to challenge the status quo. Among them was Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie, a trailblazing feminist and social reformer who would dedicate her life to advancing women’s education, legal rights, and political participation, laying the foundation for Quebec’s feminist movement.
Gérin-Lajoie was born to Marie-Louise Globensky and Alexandre Lacoste in 1867 in Montreal. Her upbringing in their household would be instrumental in establishing her interest in feminism and reform later in life. Her mother was actively involved in philanthropy and social causes. She was often a patroness for balls, which would be focused on raising money to fund charitable works.[i] Her father was a lawyer, professor, politician, and judge.[ii] She was educated at a convent in Hochelaga (a suburb of Montreal at the time), graduating in 1883 at the age of 15. After graduation, she wanted to continue her education but discovered that there were no francophone Catholic university programs in Quebec specifically for women. With no access to formal higher education, Marie turned to self-study, aided by her father’s legal expertise and extensive library. This period of independent learning laid the foundation for her later advocacy for legal reform and women’s rights.
Growing up in a family that valued education and legal discourse, and recognizing early on the systemic legal injustices faced by women, she focused her autodidactic studies on the law. It became clear to Marie that married women in Quebec had the most limited rights. At the time, they were legally subordinated to their husbands. This lack of control and personal decision-making inspired in her a desire to fight back.[iii]
By the age of 19, Marie was known within Montreal’s intellectual circles. Coming from a prominent Montreal family herself, she spent time among academics, lawyers, politicians, and social reformers, whose discussions continued to stimulate her interest in social change and expand her understanding of the issues. It was at one of these gatherings that she met Henri Gérin-Lajoie, also from an elite Montreal family, who shared her interests in law and social reform. She agreed to marry him on one condition: that he would continue to support her campaign for women’s rights.[iv] After their marriage on January 11, 1887, her family life would intertwine with her advocacy work, with her husband’s encouragement. They would go on to have four children – all of whom would become activists themselves.
By 1902, Marie had written Traité de droit usuel, a comprehensive guide about everyday law aimed at educating women about their legal rights and obligations. Empowering women through legal knowledge was essential to push for societal reform within the province. Her book was distributed to schools, women’s groups, and even political offices. It was a foundational text for activists seeking legal reforms. The text was also translated into English to inform Quebec’s anglophone community as well.[v]
Women who understood their legal status could advocate for their rights and the rights of their children, engaging in social and political movements such as the fight for women’s suffrage and better working conditions.[vi] In late 19th- and early 20th-century Quebec, this knowledge was revolutionary. Under the Napoleonic-inspired Civil Code of Lower Canada, married women were legally considered minors: they could not own property, sign contracts, or control their own wages.[vii] A better understanding of these laws not only revealed the structural injustices women endured but also equipped them with the tools to challenge them. Gérin-Lajoie recognized this early on. By publishing Traité de droit usuel, she sought to democratize legal knowledge, empowering women to question and resist the patriarchal norms embedded in Quebec’s legal system.[viii] This legal literacy helped catalyze organized action – such as campaigns for maternal rights, education reforms, and the eventual push for women’s suffrage.[ix] Gérin-Lajoie’s work made it clear that understanding the law was not just academic; it was a necessary step toward autonomy and citizenship.[x]
In 1929, Gérin-Lajoie followed that work with a more in-depth assessment of women’s legal status in Quebec. La Femme et le Code Civil was a critical examination of the Civil Code’s discriminatory provisions against women, arguing for married women’s rights to control their own financial assets and to have legal authority over family affairs. This argument challenged the entrenched patriarchal legal structures of her time.[xi] Her advocacy faced immense resistance from the Catholic Church, which held significant sway over Quebec’s legal and political systems. Church leaders argued that altering the Civil Code would undermine traditional family structures and Catholic moral values.[xii] This institutional opposition made legal reform exceptionally difficult, as political leaders often aligned with religious authorities to block progressive change.[xiii]
In addition to her legal writing, Gérin-Lajoie was active in leadership with various organizations. In 1893, she joined the Montreal Local Council of Women (MLCW), one of the first feminist groups in Quebec. Although the organization was predominantly anglophone, she played a pivotal role in breaking down the cultural and language barrier, advocating for women’s municipal voting rights and improving female labour conditions.
Through her involvement in social activism and the feminist movement in Quebec, she had the chance to meet and collaborate with likeminded leaders. One example is her friendship with Caroline Béique, a fellow activist deeply committed to women’s rights. Together, they co-founded the Fédération Nationale Saint-Jean-Baptiste (FNSJB) in 1907, the first francophone women’s organization in Quebec, where earlier women’s rights groups had been predominantly anglophone.[xiv] The FNSJB provided a crucial platform for French Canadian women to advocate for social and political reforms, particularly in legal education and suffrage.[xv]
Understanding the transformative power of education for women, Gérin-Lajoie focused on improving access to higher education for francophone women. When the École d’enseignement supérieur pour les jeunes filles was founded in 1908, in affiliation with Université de Montréal, Gérin-Lajoie was hired to teach legal studies, making her one of the first educators at Quebec’s first classical college for women. Her work helped bridge the gap between women and legal knowledge, ensuring they understood their rights and the laws that governed their lives. This new institution finally gave women in Quebec the opportunity to pursue a post-secondary education in French that could lead to diplomas and degrees. It offered classes in three main sections: letters, sciences, and commerce. The curriculum was designed to provide a comprehensive education for young women, with courses taught by both religious and lay professors.[xvi] It was at this school in 1911 that the first French Canadian woman to earn a bachelor of arts degree graduated – Gérin-Lajoie’s daughter Marie Gérin-Lajoie. This achievement came 36 years after Grace Annie Lockhart opened the BA to women in Canada and the British Empire, marking another significant milestone in women’s education.
While Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie dedicated much of her early activism to education and legal awareness, she understood that true equality required more than knowledge: it demanded political representation. Her fight for women’s rights naturally evolved into a broader struggle for suffrage, as she recognized that without the right to vote, women remained powerless to influence the very laws that governed their lives. In 1922, she co-founded the Provincial Franchise Committee with Anna Marks Lyman, uniting francophone and anglophone women in the pursuit of voting rights. Women were given the legal right to vote in federal elections only in 1918, and not in provincial elections until 22 years later, in 1940.
Gérin-Lajoie and her fellow activists understood that a large, organized delegation would make a significant impact and draw attention to their cause. By gathering 400 women, they demonstrated the widespread support for women’s enfranchisement and the urgency of their demands. The delegation’s visit to Quebec City was a carefully planned effort to present their case directly to Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau and other political leaders, emphasizing the need for legislative change.[xvii]
While this initial effort was unsuccessful because of staunch opposition from political and religious leaders, Gérin-Lajoie’s unwavering determination and the collective strength of the delegation laid the groundwork for future successes. Their efforts were instrumental in raising awareness and building momentum for women’s suffrage in Quebec, which was eventually achieved in 1940.[xviii] She died on November 1, 1945, just five years after women in Quebec finally gained the right to vote. Her relentless advocacy had paved the way for this achievement, and her influence continued to shape feminist activism in Quebec for decades to come.[xix]
Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie’s relentless advocacy transformed Quebec’s legal and educational landscape. She played a pivotal role in advancing women’s rights, laying the foundation for future generations to continue the fight for equality and justice. Today, she is recognized as a pioneering figure in the feminist movement, with streets and institutions named in her honour. Her writings, particularly Traité de droit usuel and La femme et le Code Civil, remain essential references in discussions on women’s rights in Canada. Through ongoing educational initiatives and feminist scholarship, her legacy endures, ensuring that her contributions to legal and social reform continue to inspire change.
[i] “For Charity’s Sake: The Annual Ball Held in Royal Victoria College,” The Gazette (December 29, 1900).
[ii] Sylvio Normand, “Sir Alexandre Lacoste,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography (2005).
[iii] Anne-Marie Sicotte, “Lacoste, Marie”, Dictionary of Canadian Biography (2003).
[iv] Mother Marie Gérin-Lajoie, “Son rosaire” [Her Rosary], La Bonne Parole (November 1945), p. 14.
[v] Nicholas Kasirer, “Apostolat Juridique: Teaching Everyday Law in the Life of Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie (1867–1945),” Osgoode Hall Law Journal, Vol. 30, Issue 2 (1992).
[vi] Harvey J. Graff, “Interpreting Historical Literacy: The Pattern of Literacy in Quebec – A Comment,” Historical Journal of Quebec Studies, Vol. 12, No. 24 (1979).
[vii] Kasirer, “Apostolat Juridique,” Osgoode Hall Law Journal.
[viii] Ibid.
[ix] Anne-Marie Sicotte, “Marie Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Marie Lavigne, Québec Women and the Struggle for Equality (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1990).
[xiii] Micheline Dumont, Le féminisme québécois raconté à Camille (Éditions du remue-ménage, 2008).
[xiv] Micheline Dumont et al., L’histoire des femmes au Québec depuis quatre siècles (Quinze, 1982).
[xv] Evelyn O’Neill, Les Femmes et le Droit au Québec: L’évolution du statut juridique des femmes (University of Ottawa Press, 1996).
[xvi] “Institut pédagogique / Institut Marguerite-Bourgeoys : collège Marguerite-Bourgeoys, École normale de l’Institut pédagogique et École normale de musique,” Croire et Vouloir.
[xvii] Sicotte, “Marie Lacoste,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
[xviii] “Movements and Protests for Women’s Rights in the 20th Century,” Alloprof.
[xix] Viviane Gosselin, Femmes, Droit et Politique au Québec (Presses de l’Université Laval, 2012).