Remarkable Happenings

There is something rather remarkable happening in provincial politics in Canada. 

At present, out of the thirteen Canadian provinces and territories, six of them are lead by women. A decade ago that would have been inconceivable for most Canadians.  A decade ago the vast majority of the  rank and file of the various provincial parties would not have ever thought that a woman would be electable as a leader in a provincial election.  Clearly the membership of the parties have realized ( a few generations too late) that their assumptions as to whom would make a good leader were wrong.

What makes this somewhat (if welcome) surprising turnaround even more remarkable is that women are still under represented in terms of actual seats in the various legislatures.  In Ontario, out of 107 seats - just 30 are filled by women. Ontario's abysmal rate of representation is about the same as Canada's. According to the Canadian Parliamentary Review in 2007 (http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?param=180&art=1231), Canada was 47th of the democratic countries in terms of female representation in Canada. Countries such as Mauritania, Uganda, Rwanda, Afghanistan and Iraq all have a higher rate of female representation in their Parliaments than does Canada (Canadian Parliamentary Review  2007). So what gives? How is it possible that only 27- 30% of Provincial legislators are women but just under 50% of the leaders are?

I am sure there are some remarkably bright political science students who are examining this issue with great interest and that there will be a flood (I probably over exaggerate) of papers published in small obscure academic journals that are not available to the public discussing why now. I think it is a worthy topic of for people to think about

However what I find really interesting about the whole thing is that no one is talking about it. While leaders such as the newly elected Ontario Provincial Premier  Kathleen Wynne get asked about what they will bring to the office as a woman, for the most part no one seems to care whether or not our leaders are males or females.

And that is the way it should be. Maybe we are growing up - finally.