Why council needs more women
Different experience essential for city-building, says Mireille Brownhill.
In this municipal election cycle, there’s a lot of talk about women. How many women do we currently have on City Council? How many women are running? How many racialized women are running? How many disabled women are running? How many female candidates actually have a chance of being elected? What should the city’s Women’s Bureau look like to best engage a diversity of women?
The fact that, in 2018, we are still talking about gender representation on council is a sad testament to the lack of supports for women in our system. People outside Ottawa, or new to the city, are surprised to learn that only four of our 24 council members are women.
Many electors and media representatives in Ottawa and elsewhere are quick to say that more women should run for office, but it really isn’t as simple as that. Yes, the registration process is the same for everyone, but the imbalance is much more complex and nuanced than filling out a form and paying a fee. Thanks to organizations such as City for All Women Initiative (CAWI), Now What Ottawa, and Equal Voice, there is a movement to develop tools and resources for women who want to run. It will take many efforts and much work to make politics as accessible to women as it is to men, and to ensure a diversity of voices on council.
Women experience our city differently; that experience is valuable and essential for city-building and policymaking. If that experience isn’t considered, how will it affect our city? How can our municipal services adequately address the needs of our residents? Factoring in a diversity of lived experiences in our city will improve our public transit system; it will improve the accessibility of our social programs and services; it will improve the safety of our public spaces.
We need these voices as part of the conversation in a meaningful way. We need to make space for and listen to women on how council decisions affect the people of Ottawa. A city where women matter will benefit everyone, whether you’re talking about public transit systems, budget considerations, snow clearing, public health services, or any other essential city service.
I’m glad we’re having this conversation. Let’s keep talking about women as community leaders; as changemakers; as policy builders; as qualified council candidates; and as valuable contributors to our city.