Gender inequalities exist in the political arena and are identified as follows:
- Although women make up 52 per cent of the Canadian population, they make up only 21 per cent of municipal councils.
- Canada has 24.8 per cent of women elected to federal parliament (76 of 307 seats).
- At the municipal level,
- Canada is at 24 per cent – 5,774 women out of 24,248 mayors and councillors.
- In Toronto, of the 44 councillors, 15 (34 per cent) are women (2010-2014 term).
However, in order to reach the minimum of 30 per cent female representation required for public policy to realistically reflect women’s concerns (as defined by the United Nations) Canadian municipalities need at least 1,700 more women in elected office.
And in order to reflect the 52 per cent of the overall population that is female, at least 24 women would need to be elected to City Council in Toronto.
Therefore:
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)‘s Standing Committee on Increasing Women’s Participation in Municipal Government is building a national network of regional champions
- with the aim of Getting to 30% by 2026
- The role of the regional champion is three-fold:
1. to recruit volunteers from your community, who will meet regularly and work toward recruiting and electing women candidates for local council;
2. to recruit other Champions in nearby communities, who will also recruit local volunteers; and
3. to participate in a nationwide network of Regional Champions who communicate and collaborate to recruit, organize and provide support to women interested in running for municipal office.- The long-range goal is to have a Champion in every community in Canada.
- Please click here to find out who is your regional champion in your community, if you are a young woman and would like to join a regional champion program.
- Modelled after the City’s Toronto Regional Champion Campaign Protégée Program, the FCM is currently working with the following four pilot communities to launch a similar program:
- Edmonton, Alberta: an example of a large city with significant visible minority populations;
- Thompson, Manitoba: a northern and remote city, with a large urban aboriginal population;
- Quebec City, Quebec: a Francophone community, and an example of Quebec’s party-based system of municipal politics;
- Wainfleet, Ontario: a small and rural municipality, in proximity to a larger urban centre.
- Toronto Regional Champion Campaign is “Toronto’s response to a nation-wide initiative of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to redress the democratic deficit in municipal governments,” stated Councillor Pam McConnell, Regional Champion of Toronto.
- The first Toronto Regional Champion Campaign Protégée Program was launched in 2008
So, on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, the third Toronto Regional Champion Campaign will be launched at 12:30 p.m.in Committee Room 1, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W., wherein:
- 30 young Canadian women (ages 18 – 28) will team up with City of Toronto’s 15 women councillors for 12 months in order to:
- enhance their commitment and participation in City government
- provide them with hands-on experience in the office of a municipal elected official
- participate in this part-time mentoring, job shadowing and education program
- encourage the young women to run for positions on municipal agencies, boards and commissions, as a way to become involved in local issues
- This, in turn, helps develop their interest in, and capacity for, serving on municipal governments.
- The following 15 City of Toronto Councillors will launch the Toronto Regional Champion Campaign Protégée Programto help two protégées each to become familiar with the job of a municipal councillor and provide them with hands on experience:
- Lindsay Luby,
- Maria Augimeri,
- Frances Nunziata,
- Sarah Doucette,
- Karen Stintz,
- Ana Bailão,
- Jaye Robinson,
- Kristyn Wong-Tam,
- Pam McConnell,
- Mary Fragedakis,
- Paula Fletcher,
- Janet Davis,
- Mary-Margaret McMahon,
- Shelley Carroll
- Michelle Berardinetti
Please click here for more info about the Toronto Regional Champion Campaign Protégée Program.
Contact Info
Program managed by:
Winnie Ng Falkenstein
Consultant, Office of Equity, Diversity & Human Rights
Toronto Regional Champion Campaign
City of Toronto
City Manager’s Office
100 Queen Street West
14th floor, West Tower
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
Tel: 416-397-0929
TTY: 416 397-7332
wfalken@toronto.ca or diversity@toronto.ca
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Media Advisory
April 5, 2012
Toronto Regional Champion Campaign to help increase women’s presence in local politics
The City of Toronto’s 15 women councillors will launch the third Toronto Regional Champion Campaign on Tuesday, April 10. The campaign will team up 30 young women with the City’s women councillors for 12 months in order to enhance their commitment and participation in City government and to provide them with hands-on experience in the office of a municipal elected official.
Date: Tuesday, April 10
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: Committee Room 1, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.7 million people. Toronto’s government is dedicated to delivering customer service excellence, creating a transparent and accountable government, reducing the size and cost of government and building a transportation city. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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