Sask. hits milestone with more than 30% of projected MLAs being women
Gender representation charity says more women always need to be recruited to run for office
Saskatchewan has hit a big milestone after Monday's provincial election. Women are projected to make up more than 30 per cent of the Legislature.
Equal Voice, a charity dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics, says the 2024 election marks a transformative moment for Saskatchewan, especially since the progress toward gender equity in the province's politics has been gradual.
The Saskatchewan NDP tell CBC that 48 per cent of its projected winners are women and Equal Voice said 24 per cent of the Sask. Party's projected winners are women.
"One of the things that's really exciting for us is that the Saskatchewan legislature has tipped over what we call critical mass," said Chi Nguyen, executive director of Equal Voice.
"The critical mass concept means if you have one or two out of 50 people, those one or two people might feel really tokenised in their experience. And so what happens when you the hit critical mass, that 30 per cent, is that the culture can start to shift and evolve and change."
Nguyen calls this climb in representation an "important milestone."
The charity is aiming for 50 per cent women and gender diverse representation across all provinces.
Women in leadership
Brittney Senger, a non-profit organizer who has previously worked at Equal Voice, is the projected winner of the Saskatoon Southeast constituency.
Senger said that when she was contemplating running for MLA, one of the deciding factors was that she needed a leader and party she could get behind.
"I saw the work that the women from the NDP caucus were doing in the Legislature. And that was one of the things that really motivated me," said Senger.
She said she saw strong women that have "fought hard " to make life better for people, and women in particular, across the province.
"Strong women that have brought their their babies into the Legislature, breast fed on the floor. I mean, this is incredible."
Senger said she was also inspired to run because of what she had seen Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck do in politics.
"Having a leader that's a woman, but a strong, brilliant woman that's hard working that, you know, can offer insight and inspiration … it was such a motivation."
Senger said having all the candidates she was up against in Saskatoon Southeast be men helped drive her momentum during the campaign.
"It was just a little bit of extra fire to keep me going. To, you know, show that as women, we have so much to offer and there's so much that we can contribute."
Sask. Party women candidates
Sask. Party spokesperson Julie Leggott told CBC in an email statement that approximately 25 per cent of nominated candidates who put their names on the ballot for the party in the 2024 election were women.
"Of course, beyond the candidates on the ballot many, many more individuals that participated in the nomination process or volunteered on a campaign were women," Leggott said.
"We are grateful for the ongoing participation and input from women, which helped form many of the commitments we made to Saskatchewan people like new options for cervical screening, a new tax credit for in vitro fertilization, and the breast health centre under construction in Regina right now."
While the number of women in the Legislature has never been higher, the Sask. Party lost several high profile women MLAs in this year's election, including Laura Ross, Christine Tell and Bronwyn Eyre.
Recruitment efforts continue
Equal Voice said Saskatchewan's achievement follows notable wins in British Columbia and New Brunswick.
In its latest election, British Columbia achieved "a landmark" 53 per cent female representation in its provincial legislature. Equal Voice's executive director Nguyen said this establishes a new standard for gender parity.
New Brunswick recently elected its first female premier and increased the proportion of women in its legislature to 35 per cent, which Nguyen said marks another significant step forward.
Meanwhile, she said there is a lot to be done in terms of recruitment of women and gender diverse people in politics.
"We've just had this election cycle, but we now need to start the next round of recruitment. And a lot of people who are tapped or asked to think about it need a few asks," said Nguyen.
"We know that anecdotally, it takes a woman seven times being asked before she says yes to considering running."
Nguyen said there is a lot for women to consider, as many tend to carry more of the care giving responsibilities in their families.
"You know, how am I going to have work life balance? How will this fit with our family cycle? Am I also managing care giving responsibilities with elder parents and/or younger kids?"
Nguyen said the work to recruit more women into politics is never done, and the more equitable representation, the better leadership there is in a democracy.
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