Editor:
This vibrant town possesses some hard-working, innovative, community-minded women who have proven instrumental in building playgrounds, championing environmental and wildlife concerns and running businesses, not to mention organizing, volunteering, advocating, mobilizing, bantering, baking, and even babysitting their way through the myriad issues that this town has faced and continues to face.
So, seriously, why haven’t any of you or any of your friends announced your candidacy yet?
Canmore’s recent announcement of a byelection affords the many capable women in this community the opportunity to put their name forward as a candidate if only for consideration of either a seat on council or as mayor. I hope to see more women come forward and take a chance at running for office.
Remember, yours represents both an important voice and a unique skill set that remains lacking on the current political stage at all levels of government – a dismal 24 per cent average nationally; an even more lacklustre 14 per cent at our local level.
This needs to change.
Why? According to the website Equal Voice, “Polling shows that women care about different issues. The United Nations says that a critical mass of at least 30 per cent women is needed before legislatures produce public policy representing women’s concerns and before political institutions begin to change the way they do business.”
Simply put, public service needs a balance of many diverse voices, including women’s. Presently, Canada ranks 40th out of 189 countries for women holding political office. As such, we lag behind nations like Afghanistan and Rwanda. Clearly, we can do better.
And things look to be changing somewhat slowly: one of the more inspiring aspects of our recent provincial election (ideologies aside) saw two qualified and capable female party leaders vying for the position of premier of Alberta – an historic first in this province. Perhaps this motivates you to run at the local level – the level of government that affects citizens more directly than any other level of government.
Of course you may not win, but at least stand up and speak out. Take to heart what Texas’ first woman governor, Ann Richards, famously said about women entering politics, “If you give us the chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.”
I encourage you to visit the website www.equalvoice.ca for information on how to campaign for office as well as potential funds available. You have until May 22 to put your name forward or to nominate someone.
Corina Dootjes,
Canmore
