Involving Women in Politics: A Calgary Example
2009-11-30
Only 22% of the seats in Canada’s House of Commons are occupied by women, and Canada ranks 49th out of 189 countries when it comes to the representation of women in government. Women (and particularly young women) still face a number of social, cultural and economic obstacles to their work in politics, activism and government, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
The Young Liberal campus club at the University of Calgary is an excellent example, as its executive board is rare amongst any political party for having its membership consist of a majority of women. Since that change occurred, club members have noticed a clear difference in their capacity to recruit and grow the club.
“It garners attention from those women who are hesitant to participate in the male-dominated political arena,” said Kim Nursall, Policy Vice President for the University of Calgary Liberal Association (UCLA).
Jennifer Abbott, the club’s Promotional director agreed, and was proud of how many young women the club has been involving in politics.
“The UCLA executive with our female majority is another small stepping stone towards giving women a voice in politics. Hopefully other groups can follow our club’s example and get more women involved,” she said.
The club’s President, Adrian Le, said he believed the makeup of the UCLA Executive, operating in a tough province for Liberalism, demonstrates that no gender or any demographic group has a monopoly on talent, great ideas, or political acumen.
“Competent individuals come from every and all backgrounds, and I believe that the University of Calgary Liberal Association is a shining example of exactly that.”
The YLC hopes that the UCLA club begins to set a broader trend in Canadian politics! For more information, visit
www.ucalgaryliberal.com
Braeden Caley
Vice President (Communications)
Young Liberals of Canada