Federal Conservatives and Liberals Falling Short in Efforts to Increase Female Nominees
September 30, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa: With over half of their candidates chosen for the next federal election, Canada’s two major political parties are falling short in their commitment to nominate more female candidates than in the past, according to new nominations data released by Equal Voice.
With 60 percent of their candidates in place, the Conservative Party has nominated 39 women, just 21 percent of their candidates to date. The Liberals, with over half of their candidates chosen, have nominated 55 women, or 32 percent of their candidates to date.
In Ontario, progress is not much better. Of 106 ridings in Ontario, the Conservative Party has nominated 16 women – 22 percent of the 73 candidates chosen; the Liberals have nominated 29 women – or 34 percent of the candidates chosen. (In the most recent election of winter 2008, 22 percent of Ontario Conservative candidates and 33 percent of Ontario Liberal candidates were women.)
“In June of this year, all of Canada’s political parties pledged to do better in their efforts to nominate more women for their parties in the next election. To date, the efforts of the two major parties show that they have yet to achieve better than the status quo,” said Vicky Smallman, lead elections researcher for Equal Voice.
In Ontario, only the Green Party, with over 50 percent of their nominations completed, appears to be on track to exceed its previous record, with 21 women nominated, representing 39 percent of its candidates. (In 2008, 27 percent of Green Party Ontario candidates were women.)
With fewer than 40 percent of their candidates chosen, there are too few candidates to suggest a trend for the New Democratic Party in the number of female candidates. (The Bloc Québécois does not run candidates in Ontario.)
“We urge the leading parties to make the nomination of women a priority in the days and weeks ahead,” added Nancy Peckford, Executive Director of Equal Voice. “There is still time.”.
| CP | LP | BQ | NDP | GP | |
| Number of nominations completed to date | 186/308 – 60.4% | 170/308 – 55.2% | 26/75 – 34.7% | 49/308 – 15.9% | 141/308 – 45.8% |
| Proportion of women nominated to date | 39 women (21.0%) | 55 women (32.4%) | 7 women (26.9%) | 17 women (34.7%) | 49 women (34.8%) |
| Previous total percentage of women candidates (2008 fed election) |
60/307 = 20% | 113/307 = 37% | 21/75 = 28% | 104/307 = 34% | 89/304 = 29% |
“Canadians want more women on the ballot”, underscored Peckford. Polling data released by Equal Voice this past June show that 85 percent of Canadians support efforts to increase the number of women elected in this country.
In the 2008 federal election, 29 percent of candidates from the five major parties were women, a historic high for Canada. After the 2008 election, 22 percent of MPs elected were female, the highest percentage of women MPs that Canada had ever elected at the federal level. Despite this, Canada has yet to attain critical mass, a key United Nations benchmark of 30 percent representation by women.
Currently, Canada ranks 48th in the world for female representation in a national legislature, well behind counties such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Spain, and many others.
Equal Voice has tracked the nominations process in three previous elections - 2004, 2006, 2008, and in anticipation of an upcoming election, to draw attention to the low representation of women in Canada’s Parliament.
For more information or to book an interview with Janet Wiegand of Equal Voice BC:
For more information:
Nancy Peckford, Executive Director, Equal Voice
Lesley Byrne, Chair Founders Chapter, Equal Voice
Sherri Moore-Arbour, Chair National Capital Region, Equal Voice
To read the text of commitments made by federal party leaders
to Equal Voice in June 2009 visit: Canada Challenge 2009
EQUAL VOICE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION RENEWS LEADERSHIP:
Chapter elects a dynamic group of women for 2009 – 2010
OTTAWA - On Tuesday, May 12, members of the National Capital Region chapter of Equal Voice participated in a general meeting to renew the chapter which included an election of a new leadership team for the 2009-2010 year.
Sherri Moore-Arbour, Vice Chair of the Upper Canada District School Board and a school board trustee, was elected as chapter Chair.
"It’s exciting to see women from across the political spectrum united by a common passion to get more women nominated and elected, in every party and at every level," said Ms. Moore- Arbour.
Acclaimed were Jen Hunter as Vice Chair, Heather-Jane Robertson as Treasurer, Kathleen Monk as Secretary, Anu Bose as Membership Chair, and Dr. Melissa Haussman and Carrolyn Johnston as Members at Large. This leadership team will be supported by a volunteer steering committee that are charged with creating activities and events that support the core work of the organization which is making sure more women are elected to all levels of government from all parties across the country.
"Equal Voice has an important role to play in the National Capital Region. Our new dynamic leadership has plans to host a variety of events offering networking and learning opportunities. The focus of this new team remains unchanged," continued Ms. Moore- Arbour.
The chapter is grateful to outgoing Vice Chair, Nancy Peckford, for the leadership and vision she brought to this role and additionally wishes Ms Peckford well in her new role as Executive Director of Equal Voice National effective May 15, 2009.
Equal Voice is a national multi-partisan organization committed to promote the election of more women to all levels of Government and, ultimately, change the face of Canadian politics. We are a group of women and men who are deeply concerned about Canadian politics and have formed a multi-partisan, non-profit organization devoted to the still-bold idea that more women must be elected to every level of government in Canada.
To learn more about Equal Voice join us online at www.equalvoice.ca and to get involved locally with the National Capital Chapter please contact us at equalvoiceottawa@gmail.com.
For more information, please contact:
Jen Hunter, Vice-Chair (613) 858-0874 or equalvoiceottawa@gmail.com
Equal Voice National Capital Region Holds First Annual General Meeting and Election of its Executive
(Ottawa - November 27, 2006) Members of Equal Voice - National Capital Region Chapter have held their first Annual General Meeting (AGM), and have elected the chapter's first Executive Committee.
Newly-elected Chair Chantal Courchesne declared, "this is a great moment for Equal Voice members of the National Capital Region. We feel we have momentum and that we can really influence politicians in Ottawa and encourage more women to get involved in politics and run for office."
The first AGM took place in Ottawa on November 23 among many members and advocates from all parties. In addition to the new Chair, Chantal Courchesne, the members elected to the new Executive Committee are: Cynthia Wagner as Vice-Chair; Katherine Abbott as Membership Secretary; Marianne Goodwin as Treasurer; and Joseph Mayer and Nancy Peckford as Members-at-Large.
Founded in 2004, Equal Voice's National Capital Region Chapter has grown considerably over the years, and now includes 713 members and supporters.
"This is an important step for the National Capital Region Chapter and for Equal Voice, but there is a lot of work to do when we look at Canada's 45th place in terms of women representation in Parliament," said Donna Dasko, Senior Vice President, of Environics Research and Vice-Chair of Equal Voice National, who took part in this AGM.
Echoing her, Chantal Courchesne hopes that men and women of the National Capital Region will join its new Executive and numerous members at events and activities, from political conventions to consulting the interactive website "Getting to the Gate", helping all women interested in running for a seat. "In a poll by the Canadian research Information Centre, 90% of Canadians stated that they want more women in politics: Let's make it happen!" said Ms. Courchesne.
Representatives of Equal Voice attended the Liberal Leadership Debate held in Toronto in October, and will attend the Liberal Party of Canada's Leadership and Policy Convention in Montreal, as well as the conventions of other political parties.
Equal Voice is a national, not-for-profit, multi-partisan volunteer organization. Founded in 2001, Equal Voice is dedicated to increasing the number of women who are nominated and elected at all levels of government in Canada.
For more information and biographies of the new executive:
please contact evottawa@yahoo.ca
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