Progress for women in politics
In places we do not expect, we continue to read stories from across the socioeconomic spectrum detailing income disparities between women and men. At the top end of the pay scale, the wealthiest one per cent, the earnings gap within some of Canada’s most profitable law firms is significant. The income deficit between women and men partners amounts to approximately 25 per cent less money for women.
Women in the middle to lower-income strata of earners are, overwhelmingly, bearing the brunt from the financial impact of Canada’s she-cession, not only in pay but job losses as well.
With International Women’s Day upon us, this year’s theme from the United Nations is, “Women in Leadership, achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” The future includes the never-ending pursuit of leadership roles for she, her, they/them/their and any girl or woman — wherever these leadership roles exist.
Female positions in careers traditionally limited to men will continue to be obstacles to openness and inclusiveness, and thus the best leadership. The most prominent and controversial of these, surprising to no one, is becoming an ordained priest in the Catholic church. Strictly speaking — to become a priest many factors play a role but top among them, the individual must be male, which is clearly a criteria for the exclusion of women.
Sanctioned and protected by Canon Law, the holy church itself remains an outlier, an anointed exception, protected in this country by religious freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Thankfully, modern democratic institutions have diverged from religious institutions like the Catholic Church with the acceptance of more liberal notions of looking for the best person, male or female, for leadership roles.
Speaking of leadership, casting aside all aspersions, and no disrespect to the men who currently hold the offices and honours of U.S. president and prime minster of Canada, we can now speculate with some credibility that the leaders of Canada and the U.S. may one day soon be women.
We know The Right Honourable
Kim Campbell was Canada’s first woman prime minister, and The Right Honourable Rona Ambrose was the leader of the opposition, but the possibility of two women running and being elected president and prime minister in their respective general elections would be a first and an achievement of leadership in a post COVID-19 world. To think in 2024, and even before, women could be running the governments of both Canada and the United States.
We know U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, barring any scandal, would surely be the presumptive nominee if Joe Biden did not seek a second term, and she would be very hard to run against, based on her historic rise to the second highest political office in America. The path to the U.S. presidency is somewhat clearer for her, and less so for potential female Republican presidential contender, Nikki Haley, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under Trump.
Of course, this discussion is pure speculation and probably ranks just above schoolyard gossip but it’s interesting to think what IWD advocacy looks like for women pursuing political leadership — it’s also about inspiring people to imagine, and make it happen. With record numbers of female parliamentarians, party leaders, including powerful women outside of politics, the list of women in Canada who could be prime minister is robust — probably the deepest it has ever been in Canadian history.
Running down an active but not exhaustive list of Canadian female politicians, where previous evidence suggests they might run for party leadership, the list narrows to a few. Leslyn Lewis might succeed should Erin O’toole fail. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland could also replace Justin Trudeau.
Let’s not forget, Green Party Leader Annamie Paul, her path to becoming PM though very narrow and remote, she has achieved the critical first step. Although not a current sitting member of the House of Commons, she too could become Canada’s prime minister in time.
The possibility either one or both leaders of the U.S. and Canada could be women and even women of colour demonstrates progress, despite the many issues faced by women. The prospect of a woman and a woman of colour as the future leaders of the Canada-u.s. relationship cannot be underestimated and is what the UN is calling for, and may well be what a majority of Canadians are calling for.