Virtual gathering to support women in local government – recording available
On March 8, in recognition of International Women’s Day, AUMA hosted a virtual gathering featuring Cindy Caturao, Vice-Chair of Governance with ParityYEG, and Kasey Machin, cofounder of Areto Labs and ParityBOT, an initiative and resource that quantifies and counters online abuse of women in politics. The event was moderated by Charlene Smylie, previous small community mayor and AUMA Board member.
The recording of this event, and the online resources highlighted during the presentations, are now available on AUMA’s YouTube page; click here for access.
Women play a vital role in municipal government, and studies have shown that diversity improves an organization’s effectiveness. According to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, in Canada, women occupy only 18% of mayors’ positions and 28% of councillors’ seats. Increasing the number of women on municipal councils would mean more perspectives could be debated, leading to innovative decision-making and the of adoption new and different approaches.
AUMA is updating the content on its Women in Municipal Government Hub and developing other events that will take place throughout 2021. We welcome any ideas, stories, or feedback you have to share in how we can better promote and support women in local government. Feedback can be sent to advocacy [at] auma.ca.
