Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
More women wanted in politics
Urged to run for municipal councils
Not enough women care about politics where it matters the most -- at the municipal level where mosquitoes, garbage removal and flooding caused by beavers dominate council agendas at any given time.
But a new report done by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) aims to reverse that by getting more women interested in local politics that's been too long dominated by men. AMM wants to see more women as candidates in the 2014 municipal election.
What's holding them back?
Why aren't more women in municipal politics?
Lack of time due to work and family responsibilities
Feel municipal politics is an old boys' club
Less financial independence, feel less qualified for the job
Feel they have less profile in the community than men
Do not see the value in running
Don't know enough about municipal politics
Negative public perception of women in leaderships positions
-- Source: report by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities
Shirley Kalyniuk, chair of AMM's task force on municipal government, said Monday one of the barriers is that not enough women believe they can make a difference as a local councillor, reeve or even mayor.
"It sounds more intimidating than it really is," said Kalyniuk, who's mayor of Rossburn. "You learn as you go. Yes, it's a huge learning curve, but it's really not that bad. You learn something new everyday. There are always little tidbits you pick up. It keeps the mind going."
Kalyniuk's report Ballot Box Barriers is now being circulated on the web (www.amm.mb.ca) and AMM, once this year's municipal elections are over, will organize workshops and perhaps mentoring sessions where senior politicians can share their insights to those curious about running for council in one of Manitoba's 198 municipalities four years from now.
Only 15 per cent of elected municipal officials in Manitoba are women, and only seven per cent are reeves or mayors.
Kalyniuk, who's been mayor since 1993, said she decided on running for public office because she thought she could do a better job at running her community, something that should motivate any candidate.
"I was concerned about the community being a better, safer and happy place," she said.
University of Winnipeg politics professor Shannon Sampert said AMM's report echoes the research she and others have done.
She said over the past 20 years more women have moved into provincial and federal politics, but that same hasn't been seen at the municipal level.
The perceived time commitment is one obstacle, but others are more systemic, and turn women away if not completely off of municipal politics.
Sampert said on the local level women are treated more harshly by the media and the public than by female politicians serving in the provincial legislature or House of Commons in Ottawa.
"If you're not married and don't have a kid, you're immediately suspect," Sampert said. "Women also tend to undervalue themselves. We were never socialized to play leadership roles."
She said this fall's race to be Winnipeg's next mayor will be a big test in how women view municipal politics. If contender former NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis gets bashed by incumbent Sam Katz and the pundits, it has the potential to turn many women off of participating in what many view as an old boys' club anyway.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 29, 2010 A6
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