Gender Equality in Political Life – Not There Yet.

This week, Informed Perspectives released a study showing that Canada has fallen far behind other countries in the world in gender parity in political representation. Catalyst Shari Graydon pointed out that 70 other countries are doing better, and shared a few of the meaningful methods they’re using to ensure that women have equal influence on decisions.

I heard Graydon’s press conference and was struck immediately by the echoes to the time of the suffragist movement in Canada more than 100 years ago.

In researching for my novel, No Secrets Among Sisters, I read works by Nellie McClung and others who were fighting for the women’s vote in the early part of the 20th century. The Canadian Suffrage Association and McClung feature prominently in my novel. I thrust one of my main characters, Frankie Ford (inspired by my Great Aunt Frankie) into the campaign.

Now more than a century later, we’re still making the same arguments about the importance of women in decision-making at the highest level of our country.

I’m urging Informed Perspectives on in their important work. The first woman Member of Parliament, Agnes MacPhail was elected in 1921. Since then, we’ve tried politely to improve the representation of women and other marginalized groups. Polite encouragement, gentle nudging – well, this has gotten us to 30%. It’s time to try something different. It’s time for quotas.