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Photo credit: Peter Power/The Globe and Mail |
They did it without quotas, action plans or affirmative action.
Half of the eight candidates in the recent election for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations were women – a novel event, not just for the native organization but for Canadian politics in general.
The secret to such high female participation is two-fold, says Michele Audette, president of the Quebec Native Women's Association.
It lies in politics at the local level, where women on reserves have been taking the reins more and more often, she says.
And it lies in an inclusive approach to men, making them realize that their own health and welfare improve along with the empowerment of women, Ms. Audette said in an interview as the AFN elections wrapped up.
Read the complete story at The Globe and Mail, published 22 July 2012.
|
Photo credit: Peter Power/The Globe and Mail |
They did it without quotas, action plans or affirmative action.
Half of the eight candidates in the recent election for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations were women – a novel event, not just for the native organization but for Canadian politics in general.
The secret to such high female participation is two-fold, says Michele Audette, president of the Quebec Native Women's Association.
It lies in politics at the local level, where women on reserves have been taking the reins more and more often, she says.
And it lies in an inclusive approach to men, making them realize that their own health and welfare improve along with the empowerment of women, Ms. Audette said in an interview as the AFN elections wrapped up.
Read the complete story at The Globe and Mail, published 22 July 2012.