Daughters of the Vote and gender equality in Canadian politics: the journey continues

On Oct. 26, 2020, Canada hit a historic milestone when the 100th woman was elected to the House of Commons. This occurred when two women candidates won byelections, one in Toronto Centre and the other in York Centre, Ont. For the first time, 29.5 per cent of the Canadian House of Commons is made up of women. In 1995, the United Nations set the goal of 30 per cent women lawmakers in parliaments. Finally, our country is close to achieving that goal. This week, from March 5 to 8, 338 young women and gender-diverse people from parliamentary ridings across Canada will gather online for the first virtual Daughters of the Vote (DOV). This is an event that was started by Equal Voice in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canadian women winning the right to vote. The decision to have DOV go completely online this year was made for the safety of all delegates and speakers, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As in previous years, DOV is made possible by the generous support of the Department of Women and Gender Equality. Equal Voice recognizes that while women have made gains in Canadian politics, our journey to equal participation is far from complete. As previously reported by The Hill Times, at the present rate it could take 20 election cycles, or 90 years, to achieve gender equality in the House of Commons. DOV 2021 will include workshops, panels, training, and a focus on addressing barriers to diversity in Canadians politics. This year, for the first time, it will include anti-oppression and anti-racism training. There will be forums for Black delegates and Indigenous delegates. Supports for delegates include childcare, peer mediation, well-being coaches, media training, end-of-day briefings, and reflection spaces. There are many reasons to pursue gender equality in government, not the least of which is that it leads to better outcomes in policy making. Mary Goudie of the United Kingdom House of Lords has effectively argued that boards which embrace diversity make better decisions. We know anecdotally from women who have served in gender-equal cabinets that it is easier for them to push for gender-based analyses and intersectional approaches at the cabinet table when there is gender equality and diversity at the table with them. The barriers to women entering politics are many. Queens University political scientist Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant has effectively demonstrated that media cover women politicians differently than they cover men. Her book Gendered News shows that the way media cover women both prevents women in Canada from running for office and prevents them from getting elected when they do run. Similarly, University of New Brunswick political scientist Joanna Everitt has found that politics is often framed in masculine terms by media, making it seem as if men are the natural players and women are, by default, unnatural in the political sphere. The narratives that media spin about men, women, race, and politics, matter in achieving equality and diversity in our political institutions. Our institutions have been built largely by white men, with white men in mind. Strangely, the founding fathers never thought to put a daycare centre off the House of Commons. However, the contemporary presence of women in elected office is forcing all levels of government to deal with the realities of childrearing. When Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Sarah Stoodley became pregnant, change tables were installed in the gender-neutral washrooms at the legislative body. Legislation was also passed to allow infants in the House of Assembly. These are the kinds of changes we need to make politics a more welcoming environment for women. The changes that can have the biggest impact, however, can only come from political parties, which act as gatekeepers to putting women on the ballot. Women need to be asked to run more times than men and they need more lead time to prepare their families. Recruiting women and diverse candidates is more work than recruiting traditional candidates. It requires more planning and preparation for parties. Yet, until they commit to gender equality and diversity on the ballot, we are not likely to achieve it in our legislative bodies. This will require a continuous cultural shift within the highest levels of those organizations. It is more important now than ever to have gender equality in our political institutions. Women have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Economists across the political spectrum have said that there will be no economic recovery without a “she-covery.” We need more women in politics not just because it is the right thing to do, or the nice thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do. Lori Lee Oates, PhD, is vice-chair and Newfoundland and Labrador director on the national board of Equal Voice. She is an instructor in the M.Phil. (Humanities) program at Memorial University and has previously researched women and politics in Canada. She has also served as a senior policy adviser in the office of the minister at Status of Women Canada (now the Department of Wage and Gender Equality). The Hill Times

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Daughters of the Vote and gender equality in Canadian politics: the journey continues

Our institutions have been built largely by white men, with white men in mind. However, the contemporary presence of women in elected office is forcing all levels of government to deal with the realities of childrearing.

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