Equal Voice and Carleton’s Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership are working together on research designed to provide more support to women in politics.
As part of this initiative, a website will be created to provide information and research to anyone who needs it, particularly female candidates, their supporters, and those involved in politics and public policy formation, according to a press release.
“We’d like women who are thinking of running to be as informed as possible about what the realities are,” said Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice. “It’s very useful to ensure [that] the research that’s being done on women in politics is accessible to a wider audience.”
Women are currently unable to access a wide variety of research in the field, said Clare Beckton, the centre’s executive director.
“Because we don’t have a full body of research, we don’t necessarily know where the gaps are that could help us with assisting policy-makers and women who want in to politics,” Beckton said. “We hope to be able to identify some gaps in research, and get some funding and the ability to do some of that research.”
The web portal will offer available research and information on four main topics, according to the release, including women’s experiences as candidates, the impact of women’s participation in public life, gender and voting behaviour, and strategies to increase their participation in politics.
“We don’t have nearly enough women in politics,” Beckton said.
Only 25 per cent of Canadian MPs are women, the release stated, ranking Canada 40th in the world in this category.
“Women tend to need to be asked [to run] in many cases rather than them choosing to run,” Beckton said. “There are some that do want to run but don’t necessarily get selected because of barriers within party structures.”
“The research that’s being done will help to equip women with what they need so that they’re as prepared as possible,” Peckford said.
The web portal will be launched sometime in 2012, she added.
