The Questions of Under-Representation: Women in Canadian Politics
By Emily MacDonald
The world of politics has always been and still remains to be a man's world. Women are under-represented in Canadian politics and in many other political systems around the world. Federally, women represent only 21% of Canadian parliamentarians. Provincially, the story is mixed. Quebec stands as an excellent example with women surpassing the 30% level but the majority of provinces hover around the federal level or even under 20%.
But what does this mean, and why is it important? First off, it means that 50% of the population is under-represented in legislatures across the country. Beyond that opinions vary. It may mean that government and political parties are missing out on the unique perspectives of women. It may also mean that those issues of particular concern to women are getting left out of the political debate. I would go even further and say that the under-representation of women challenges the legitimacy of government and is a democratic deficit that we should all be concerned about. It presents a face of Canada that is not complete and not whole.
So, here comes the obvious but most difficult question of all, why are there so few women in politics? If only we knew the answer to this question! There are so many different factors that contribute to the problem of under-representation, it can seem overwhelming. There are institutional and systematic barriers including the First Past the Post electoral system and the traditional political party system. Beyond that, there are the social and historic factors that lead so many of us to see politics as the man's world that it has always been.
The role of the media and the especially intense and often inappropriate coverage of women politicians also plays a part. Everyone must remember the coverage of Belinda Stronach when she entered the Conservative Party leadership race and again when she crossed the floor and became a leader.
No matter her extensive business experience, the policy issues she thought important, or ultimately why she made the decision to join the Liberal Party, the media focussed on what she was wearing, how she looked, and who she was dating.
The point is, this is not a simple problem nor one that will be solved easily. Although there have been slow improvements in the representation of women in legislatures across Canada we are only now surpassing the 20% mark, and that is not even the case across all of the provinces. Many people suggest the representation of women, if simply given time will work itself out. That may very well be the case but how much time are we talking about: 25 years, 50 years, or longer?
In upcoming editions I will explore specific forces behind the under-representation of women in politics and get into deeper analysis of issues. There are some many things to discuss, so many avenues to go down. Women in politics is an exciting topic because there are so many possibilities for change. There is so much to do and at the same time so much still to learn. There is a passion behind this topic, a drive for change, and hopefully an optimism that the face of Canadian politics will soon change. In the next edition I hope to consider the debate over electoral reform and compare Canada's First Past the Post system to Proportional Representation (PR).
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