Elected bodies must represent community diversity
Last month we gathered around computer monitors and TV screens, gripped by Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford’s intensely public account of sexual assault. That image of her raising her hand, swearing an oath of honesty, is immortalized in the media, burned into our collective mind.
But the oppositve view revealed the truth in what she faced in that moment: a wall of men, listening, waiting to critique her experience — to cast judgment on her private moment of hell.
The words I initially sputtered upon taking in the all-too familiar scene are not fit for this piece. Why have we empowered so many people who haven’t lived through an experience like a sexual assault, to call the shots for those who have? Why do we hand over our freedoms and rights to individuals who have never lived, and can’t comprehend our lived-experiences?
I have been shouting this for more than 30 years. Like the women before me. Like the women after. But I’ll say it again, louder for those who haven’t heard me: We need more women in positions of power. We need women who bring our unique perspective to the issues that are top of mind in our community.
The Hamilton municipal election is mere days away and 31 of 104 candidates are women, marking the highest female representation in a municipal election since amalgamation. Four years ago, a campaign promise for a gender equity strategy was made. Previous attempts at a gender equity strategy have not provided the necessary changes for women to thrive in this city, nor are they comprehensive. The Fem the Vote campaign, supported by eight local women-serving organizations, calls on candidates to prioritize the safety, well-being, and development of females.
Why is it important? Because Hamilton wants to be recognized as the best place to raise a child and age successfully, yet policy design and decision-making lacks a gender-based lens that promotes the needs of those who are most often primary caregivers to kids and aging parents: women.
Gender impacts the way citizens use transit. Many women work service sector jobs providing care for aging parents and kids. That might mean waiting at a bus stop at odd hours on a dark, empty street.
It impacts access to housing. Women’s shelters in Hamilton are operating at -3 per cent vacancy rates. In the past two years overflow has meant opening up temporary shelters in unconventional spaces. Transitional housing that offers safety, camaraderie and time to find permanent housing, operates within a funding gap. Even though studies show this is a proven model for women fleeing violence.
Gender impacts the way we use public space. When designing parks with gender equity in mind. Some European cities have installed clean, accessible bathrooms with changing stations and sheltered gathering spaces. Those same cities have also built smaller parks close to neighbourhoods with lots of children so that women, still carrying the brunt of household duties, don’t have to travel too far to let their children enjoy the outdoors
Gender impacts public safety. Consider the viral Twitter thread from last month, “What I Would Do if Men Had a Curfew.” I would jog at night. I would walk the dog through a park at night. I wouldn’t worry about walking to my car at night. I wouldn’t ask my girlfriends to text when they got home safely from a night out. I would answer the front door at night.
Some may argue electing women is only part of the problem, or maybe not a problem at all. In Vienna, where gender-based policy has been well documented and influences everything from playground setup to hiring public boards, a program called “Gender Mainstreaming” has been a common practice for more than 20 years. Five of 11 city council committees have gender balance, and 41 per cent of women are or have been politically active. Housework is more evenly distributed among genders. The same is true of other countries that invest in gender-balanced programs. Elected positions need to reflect the diversity of the societies they serve. Because, if government doesn’t reflect the people it serves, policy won’t either.