Quebec Women And Legislative Representation

Women represent a slight majority of Quebec's population, yet they continue to occupy a minority of seats in its National Assembly and in Canada's House of Commons and Senate. To explain why this is, Manon Tremblay examines Quebec women's political engagements from 1791 to the present. She traces the path that led to women obtaining the rights to vote and run for office and then draws on statistics and interviews with female politicians to paint an in-depth portrait of women's under-representation and its main causes. Her innovative account not only documents the significant democratic deficit in Canada's parliamentary systems, it also outlines strategies to improve women's access to legislative representation in Canada and elsewhere.

This collection of essays explores the often antagonistic relationship between women and political life in Canada. While women make up little over half of the total population in Canada, they are in many ways conspicuous by their absence from the Canadian political scene.

Following significant increases in women's electoral representation in the 1980s and '90s, progress has stalled. Today, there are only a few more women in Canada's parliament and legislatures than a decade ago. What has happened to the representational gains for women and why does gender parity remain so elusive? To answer these questions, Stalled provides a detailed road map of women's political representation as candidates, office-holders, cabinet ministers, party leaders, and as representatives of the Crown at all levels of government across Canada. Comprehensive and accessible, this volume makes clear that women are far from achieving equality in sites of formal political power.

"Women are the most under-represented social group in the elected assemblies of the worl. Women everywhere constitute m ore than one-half of the population and ... rarely, are more than a handful of the political elite." The studies in this volume examine women's involvement in political parties both past and present. Empirical studies identify the roles Canadian women play in parties, the opportunities and barriers they face, and their progress toward greater representation in the political process. The questions addressed in this volume include: What are the major barriers to women's entry into federal politics? (Janine Brodie). Do large numbers of women remain confined to "pink collar" work at the expensive of executive positions? (Sylvia Bashevkin). What is the impact of the candidate selection process on the election of women to the House of Commons? (Lynda Erickson). How does incumbency affect the numbe rof women elected to federal office? (Lisa Young). What is the influence of media coverage on women in politics? (Gertrude Robinson and Armande Saint-Jean). The authors agree that the under-representation of women in politics undermines the democratic credibility of our governing institutions. Nonetheless, they are cautiously optimistic regarding the prospects for the third generation of women entering politics.

“When the history of suffrage is written, the role played by our politicians will cut a sad figure beside that of the women they insulted.” Speaking in 1935, feminist Idola Saint-Jean captured the bitter nature of Quebec women’s prolonged fight for the right to vote. To Be Equals in Our Own Country is a passionate yet even-handed account of the road to suffrage in Quebec, examining women’s political participation since winning the vote in 1940 and comparing their struggle to movements in other countries. This astute exploration of enfranchisement rightly recognizes suffrage as a fundamental question of human rights.

In 1844, seven widows dared to cast ballots in an election in Canada West, a display of feminist effrontery that was quickly punished: the government struck a law excluding women from the vote. It would be seven decades before women regained voting rights in Ontario. Our Voices Must Be Heard explores Ontario’s suffrage history, examining its ideals and failings, its daring supporters and thunderous enemies, and its blind spots on matters of race and class. It looks at how and why suffragists from around the province joined an international movement they called “the great cause.” This is the second volume in the seven-part Women’s Suffrage and the Struggle for Democracy series.

"Women have reached the highest levels of public office in Canada's provinces and territories, but what difference - if any - has their rise to the top made? Have they changed the content, tone, and style of politics? What role has gender played in their triumph and defeat? In Doing Politics Differently? leading researchers from across the country assess the track records of eleven premiers, including their impact on policies of particular interest to women and their influence on the tenor of legislative debate and the recruitment of other women as party candidates, cabinet ministers, and senior bureaucrats. Canada stands out for the variety and number of women who have reached the top in sub-national government. By evaluating the performance of women premiers across the country and comparing their records with those of men who preceded and succeeded them, this innovative volume probes how important demographic diversity is to government decision making."--

This book seeks to identify the factors that influence the percentage of female parliamentarians, paying particular attention to the electoral system. The author seeks to understand the third wave of democratization of political systems, through the particular perspective of female representation in parliaments.