Applications were reviewed for : Leadership, Resiliency, Community Engagement, and Impact in their Community. In competitive ridings, 4 individuals trained in ARAO reviewed and scored each application – the final score was an accumulation of all 4 totals. Where applications were ranked equally, reviewers assessed applications based on who would most benefit from the program and/or contribute a unique perspective to the program. 

A number of strategies were used to recruit applicants. Equal Voice engaged with the following groups: 

• Members of Parliament and their staff;
• Elected officials at the provincial level; 
• Members of the Senate; 
• Equal Voice social media channels;
• EV members, national Board of Directors, and Chapters; 
• Past delegates and applicants from 2017 and 2019; 
• Community organizations and associations across Canada; 
• Universities and colleges - including direct asks to professors in various subjects.

Delegates were given the option to have their profile posted publicly; However, this is not mandatory. Delegate profiles will be available to the public at www.equalvoice.ca/dov in the coming weeks.

Since DOV will be entirely virtual this year as a result of the ongoing pandemic, we were able to accept a few more talented and inspiring women into the program beyond the 338 limit we had for previous programs. ‘Delegate-at-Large’ participants will have a similar experience as delegates representing a riding.  At large delegates will have an opportunity to participate as an MP in model committees, but will not be eligible to be one of the 30 delegates chosen to speak on the virtual House of Commons day.

Please contact [email protected] if you are unable to make a session.

A total 30 delegates will be selected to speak during the Virtual House of Commons Day. Unfortunately, as a result of time constraints, requests to add additional speaking spots will not be accepted.

We hope that delegates will have an opportunity to meet their MP prior to the program.  However, meetings with MPs are not guaranteed.  All delegates representing a riding have been offered an opportunity by Equal Voice to be connected with their local MP. However, the decision to meet is at the sole discretion of the delegate and the MP. Neither party is obligated to meet with the other.

Delegates are welcome to reach out to MPs from anywhere across Canada.  However, Equal Voice will not be facilitating these meetings, as our focus is on connecting delegates with their local MPs, where possible.

Please send a request to [email protected] along with your name and reason for contacting them along with your contact information. We will then pass along your request to the delegate. It is entirely up to the delegate if they wish to follow-up on the request. 

Equal Voice is committed to anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We recognize that delegates come to DOV with different lived experiences and different levels of training in anti-oppression and anti-racism. Therefore, we are requiring all delegates to participate in a small group training session, facilitated by an EDI consultant, prior to DOV. This will ensure that all delegates come to DOV with an understanding of anti-oppression and anti-racism.  

In addition to being mandatory, we hope the training will be an enriching personal and professional development opportunity for delegates.  We have received great feedback on this training in the past, and having completed anti-oppression anti-racism training is an important benefit as delegates move to future employment or other opportunities.

Equal Voice recognizes that Indigeneous and Black women face unique intersectional barriers and experiences in politics. As such, these forums are closed to delegates who identify as Black and/or Indigenous and provide a closed and safe space to discuss issues and share lived experiences in greater depth. Each forum is led by an organization working with these communities, and facilitators with personal lived experience.

Equal Voice recognizes the unique and intersectional experiences that women face based on their race, religion, sexuality, abilities, language, and/or other identities and factors. While it was not possible to engage organizations representing all intersectional and complex identities, we hope that the range of organizations participating in DOV will provide an opportunity to reflect on intersectionality and what that means for political engagement.

These organizations will be providing workshops and/or participating on panels and/or running forums for delegates during the DOV 2021 program to not only help us bring more voices to the program, but also to highlight the important work they are doing.

Multi-partisanship is a pillar of all of Equal Voice’s work. Every effort is made to ensure all federal political parties are engaged and represented in the program. Whether this be through keynote addresses, panel discussions, breakout sessions, or general content - DOV aims to expose participants to all major political parties. Delegates will also have the opportunity to meet representatives from the federal parties to learn more about their platforms, becoming party members, and getting involved as volunteers - or even learning how to run as a candidate!

We have delegates participating across all of Canada’s many time zones. so the majority of the program will start at 12:00pm EST / 9:00am PST. However, for the Virtual Parliament day, the earlier start time was necessary to coordinate the availability of the political party leaders and the sitting of MPs in the House of Commons. We are grateful to delegates on the West Coast for rising early on the occasion of  International Women’s Day!

Every aspect of the program will be bilingual from the platform, speakers, and content. Simultaneous translation and closed captioning will be provided for all plenary sessions, where there are unilingual speakers. Breakout sessions will be organized by language and will be closed captioned.

Delegates will sign up for a parliamentary committee of their choice on a first-come first-serve basis.  Each model committee will discuss an actual ongoing or recently completed study being undertaken by a House of Commons committee (e.g., the Public Safety Committee (SECU) study on Systemic Racism in Policing). For a full list of committees and their work visit https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/Home  

Each Committee will have a Chair and two Vice-Chairs. MPs will be invited to observe Committee proceedings, and all DOV Committees will be recorded and posted to YouTube following the event.

• Technology supports: We are working with delegates to ensure they have the necessary tools and devices to access the virtual program. 
• Child care: Delegates who require child care should contact [email protected] if they have not already done so. 
• Peer Mediation: access to confidential peer mediators for any conflicts that may arise
• Ombudsperson: an impartial third party ombudsperson to resolve any conflicts that cannot be solved through peer mediation. 
• Well-being coaches 
• Media training if requested prior to any external media requests 
• Daily end of day open de-brief for all delegates, and reflection spaces

An overview of the program can be found here!

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the House of Commons has adapted to ensure MPs are still able to meet virtually and participate in all aspects of their legislative work. Our goal is to best replicate the in-person House of Commons experience, as well as virtual sittings that the House has adopted. 

After addresses from the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Hon. Anthony Rota, and the first woman Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, 30 delegates will be selected to give statements in the House on issues important to them and their communities. This will be followed by speeches from each of the federal political party leaders and a Q&A with the Prime Minister.*

*Pending confirmation

Delegates were provided the opportunity to submit a short write-up of the issue they would address if chosen to speak on the Virtual Parliament day. The Equal Voice team assessed each submission and selected delegates based on a wide variety of factors.

Delegates will be contacted via e-mail soon to inform them of whether or not they were selected for a speaking spot. 

Note: 30 delegates will be selected to speak. As a result of time constraints, requests for additional speaking spots will not be accepted. 

Most of the program is closed to delegates. The public will be able to watch the proceedings of the virtual House of Commons day live, and it will be recorded.  Some keynotes will also be broadcast. Equal Voice will send broadcast details to delegates and publicize more information on our social media channels.  People watching will only be observers and will not be able to interact with delegates.

Most of DOV is closed to delegates only, in order to allow delegates to learn, share, and discuss in private spaces. However, There will be some elements open to the public, including the Virtual House of Commons day. Members of the public will be able to view the proceedings, but they will not be able to interact with delegates or guest speakers.

Please send an e-mail to [email protected] in order to request an interview with a delegate, or to request credentials for the event.

Equal Voice is a multi-partisan organization dedicated to electing more women to all levels of political office. For more information please visit our about page and don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list.

Daughters of the Vote is an ambitious initiative by Equal Voice that began in 2017 to mark the 100th anniversary of some women getting the right to vote in Canada, and the still incomplete journey of women’s full participation in politics today.

Thanks to support from the Department for Women and Gender Equality, and our corporate and philanthropic partners, Equal Voice will be holding the 3rd iteration of the program from March 5-8, 2021.

To ensure the health and well-being of all delegates, staff, and volunteers, Equal Voice has made the decision to hold the first-ever Virtual Daughters of the Vote Program. This means that the 2021 program will be held entirely online. 

The objective of the program is to ensure that 338 emerging young women and gender-diverse leaders, among others, become familiar with Canada’s political institutions and those women and men serving in them – so that they are equipped and inspired to participate in the formal political sphere and take action in their local communities in the years and decades to come.

Equal Voice's ultimate goal is to ensure women are dynamic and equal participants at every political decision making table in the country.

The application period for this program has now CLOSED. Thank you to all those who applied to take part!