Three ways to get more women involved in local government
Although women comprise over 50 percent of the population, they continue to be under-represented in public office at all levels of government. In the last Alberta municipal election, only 29 per cent of candidates were women. Strengthening the presence of women in local politics is an important democratic issue. A strong democratic system allows for multiple perspectives and should reflect society’s gender diversity.
Here are three ways you can encourage more women to get involved in local government:
- Ask her. Do you know a woman who is community-minded? If so, ask her to consider running in this upcoming municipal election or ask her to volunteer for your campaign.
- Offer mentorship. Do you know a woman who is running for the first time? Offer to be a mentor so you can share your insights and experience. If you haven’t run in a municipal election before, you can still offer support by volunteering for her campaign.
- Share these resources. There are a lot of great resources designed to help women run for municipal office. Here are a few you can share:
- Equal Voice offers an online course that provides practical tools for women interested in running for public office.
- The Essential Guide to Being Elected: Increasing Women's Representation is a guide that is filled with practical advice from readiness to run, finances, nominations, social media to developing a team.
- Municipal Elections in Canada: A Guide for Women Candidates is a campaign guide that has instructions and best practices around deciding to run, campaign literature, social media, media relations, and campaign financing.
These three simple actions can go a long way to encourage more women to get involved in local government. See the Women in Municipal Government Hub on AUMA’s website for further resources.
Do you have other ideas, or is your municipality currently planning or undertaking any initiatives? Please share them with us at advocacy [at] auma.ca (advocacy[at]auma[dot]ca)
