Question Period Note: Gender Equality in Politics

Why has gender parity and diversity of elected officials in all levels of government not yet been achieved?

• The Government of Canada is committed to building a diverse and inclusive government.
• Currently there is a record number of female Members of Parliament.
o 103 women were elected to the 338-member House of Commons in 2021.
o This represents a gain of three seats from the record high of 100 women during the previous parliamentary session.
• Since 2015, the Department for Women and Gender Equality has provided over $55M in funding to support projects that strengthen the participation of women in leadership and decision-making roles.

• Barriers that prevent gender equality in politics include, but are not limited to, a lack of support for families, fear and the real threat of negative attacks based on gender norms, difficulty obtaining private donations, and biased perceptions about appropriate career paths.
• Research indicates that women who participate in politics experience a spectrum of gender-based violence, in both physical and online environments, that includes physical, psychological, economic and symbolic actions or threats resulting in harm or suffering. Violence against women in politics is intersectional: racialized individuals, LGBTQ2 persons, the economically disadvantaged, persons with disabilities, and younger women tend to experience disproportionate levels of violence in politics. The Government of Canada is committed to continuing to fight harmful content online.
• To reduce barriers to participation in Parliament, progress has been made to improve work-life balance in the House of Commons, including, but not limited to, scheduling votes after Question Period instead of in the evenings. The Treasury Board Minister’s 2021 mandate letter includes a commitment to work with the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to develop a plan to both make Parliament a more inclusive place for families and to respond with greater agility in the event of a future national health crisis.
• To reduce barriers to participation in the electoral process, Bill C-76 amended the Canada Elections Act, allowing candidates to use their own funds, in addition to campaign funds, to pay for disability-related child care, or other relevant home or healthcare expenses; and to increase the reimbursement rate to 90% for such expenses and exempt them from campaign spending limits.
• Women and Gender Equality Canada, through its Women's Program, supports projects to increase women’s participation in leadership positions, including in politics:
o Support for Women's Empowerment: Since 2015, WAGE has invested over $55 million through its Women’s Program in more than 115 projects to advance women’s representation in leadership and decision-making roles.
o Of these, 30 projects were funded to promote and enhance women’s participation in politics by addressing barriers, as well as to strengthen the voices of Indigenous women in their communities.
o As an example, the Equal Voice project was funded to focus on empowering the next generation of women leaders and increasing women’s participation in politics with a view to creating more gender-balanced governments.
o Currently, WAGE is working to put in place additional projects that will further support an increase in women’s participation in leadership positions:
o Support for Indigenous Women’s Leadership: Funding for the Assembly of First Nations, Pauktuutit and Women of the Métis Nation towards projects to empower First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and increase their leadership and democratic participation in their respective communities.
o Feminist Response and Recovery Fund: Of the 237 projects approved to advance women’s equality, 82 projects will aim to tackle systemic barriers that diverse women face to participation in leadership and decision-making roles.

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