New project for women in politics announced

Three organizations, two working to advance women’s equality and the third a company providing leadership and professional development training and opportunities, marked the start of a new project, called “Engaging Island Women for Political Action,” which aims to increase the number of women engaging as elected representatives and organizers in P.E.I.

The P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government, Winding Path Inc., and Women’s Network P.E.I received funding from Status of Women Canada for a three-year project with a focus to facilitate pathways for women to secure and advance in various political leadership roles.

Over the course of the project 100 women, 20 from each political party and 20 non-partisan women, will take part in a yearlong leadership training program, designed to enhance and increase personal leadership capacity and provide opportunities for participants to identify and realize personal goals within the democratic process.

We look forward to engaging each of the leadership training groups, political parties and all Islanders who wish to increase their understanding of gender and diversity in the political process. A provincial symposium will focus on workshops to build participants’ leadership skills and to transform conditions for women in political domains.

This project comes at a crucial time, with municipal and provincial elections just around the corner. The percentage of women in government has steadily declined over the past two provincial elections, with P.E.I. currently ranking 11th out of 13 provinces and territories in regard to women in elected office.

We want to see more women running and elected in municipal elections in 2018 and the provincial election in 2019 and this project will be an important boost.

Kirstin Lund, Winding Path Inc.; Jillian Kilfoil, Executive Director of Women’s P.E.I.; and Dawn Wilson, Executive Director of the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government