Women in politics
While there have been gains in the number of female candidates across P.E.I., the number is still well below parity
It wasn’t long ago when political roles were held exclusively by men.
Not only were women prohibited from running for public office, they couldn’t vote in P.E.I. elections until 1922. And even then, only certain women were granted that right.
It would take close to four more decades until voting rights were granted to everyone across the Island when, in 1960, First Nations peoples living on reserves were granted the right to vote without losing their registered Indian status.
Charlottetown made provincial history in 1968 when the first female mayor was elected. To this day, Dorothy Corrigan remains the only woman to hold that title in the province’s capital.
On Nov. 5, Islanders from municipalities across P.E.I. will elect new mayors and councils. There are women running for the mayoralty of all four of the municipalities covered by Elections P.E.I. — Charlottetown, Summerside, Cornwall and Stratford — as well as for the province’s newest large town, Three Rivers.
Of the four covered by Elections P.E.I., women make ups 26 per cent of the candidates.
Dawn Wilson, executive director of the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government, said she was initially disappointed at that number. When the numbers are compared to the 2010 and 2014 elections, however, she found there has been an increase in female candidates.
“There’s been an improvement … over the last two elections, it’s up, but it’s well below parity,” she said. “It’s important for us to acknowledge there have been some gains.”
In terms of percentages, Charlottetown has among the lowest number of women candidates per capita. With females making up 53 per cent of Charlottetown’s population (according to the 2016 census), just 15 per cent of candidates running for Charlottetown city council are women – or four out of 27 – and of the five mayoral candidates, only one is female.
Having more women elected brings greater diversity of experience to the decision-making table, Wilson said.
“Women have so much to offer based on their lived experience, and their voices have so much to add to those discussions, it can really impact the lives of Islanders.”
Melissa Hilton, a Charlottetown council member since 2005, has been council’s lone female representative since 2008.
Hilton, who has once again thrown her hat in the ring, said she never felt that being a woman was a barrier to her in her political carrier.
While Hilton said it’s difficult to pinpoint why more women aren’t active participants in political life, she said it could be as simple as a matter of timing.
“Maybe it’s just not the right time for them and it’s something they’ll do down the road. It’s all about timing and what’s good for (the candidate).”
Timing was an issue brought up by women during focus groups and consultations, Wilson said, adding that another common issue that’s come up is traditional gender roles.
“We know from research that women still perform a lot of the unpaid work in homes, especially in caregiving (of children and the elderly),” she said, adding financial inequity can also be a barrier as women continue to experience a wage gap in employment.
“They might not have the financial resources to take the time off work to campaign or to contribute to a campaign,” she said. “Also, it’s important to acknowledge that gap is even wider for women from diverse communities, (including) disabilities, women of colour, Indigenous women.”
There are ways to make political life more accessible for women (such a changing meeting times, for example) – that will benefit everyone involved, Wilson said.
“Gender roles are changing, and men have more caregiving responsibilities and take a more active role in the family. So, when you make some of these changes, it’s not necessarily that this will only benefit women, it actually can be a help to everyone.”
Juggling various roles, including that of caregiver and councillor, is something Hilton can relate to.
When she was first starting out, Hilton said she remembers going to evening council meetings, looking around at her male counterparts and wondering, “did any of you just fix a meal for everyone in your house right now?”
And because she stepped into politics when her girls were young, Hilton said she believes she’s become a good role model for them.
“They’ve seen me step outside my realm; they’ve seen me step outside my bubble. They saw me try something that I’d never done before, which was wonderful.”
Including herself, there are four women running for council in Charlottetown, something Hilton said she was glad to see.
“Would it be nice to have more women on council with me? Absolutely. But, thankfully, most of my counterparts have been very supportive,” she said, adding she encourages anyone with an interest to run for public office because being on council has been “an incredible learning opportunity”.
“If you have an interest, just go ahead and do it. If you have support of your family and friends – and that is by far the most important thing – go ahead and do it.”
For more information on ways women can get involved in politics, visit Peiwomeningovernment.ca.