Her support of the United Farmers of Alberta, and her subsequent political career, began as a struggle to improve the incredibly harsh conditions faced by women on Alberta’s farms. As societies have progressed, and economies have become more open and connected around the world, there has been growing attention paid to the ideas of economic, social, and cultural rights.
These are part of a larger body of human rights law that developed following World War II. In 1948, they were enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Famous Five recognized the importance of economic rights much earlier than that, and worked to put in place laws that extended these rights to women.