Jan 5, 2006

Few women candidates in Federal Election

While all three parties may have policies to encourage diversity in their ranks, reality is that there are only 36 women running for office in the upcoming Federal election - 16 from the Liberals, 14 for the NDP and only 6 for the Conservatives.

"It takes a certain kind of person to venture into politics, " observes Fred Fletcher, a political science professor at York University. It's not only a matter of running female candidates, experts say, but making sure those women have a chance of seeing victory.

The first step, says Vicky Smallman, vice-chair of the National Capital Region chapter of Equal Voice, is to nominate women and have women run, but you need to elect them as well and put them into Parliament."

Posted in: Women and Boards