Role of women in society

As the first full day of municipal election campaigning begins in Edmonton, political observers are starting to consider a city council with far fewer women on it.

While the number of candidates running for elected office — 119 — is the highest since the 1970s, the proportion of women running for city council seats is lower than it has been in a decade.

Thirteen of 73 candidates running for ward councillor — 21 percent — are women. In the previous three elections, it was around 25 percent, according to historical data analyzed by CBC News.

The Women’s Network for a Sustainable Futurerecently hosted a powerful discussion on women and sustainability in politics. Moderated by Darcy Winslow, Managing Partner at Academy for Systemic Change, the panel included Cylvia Hayes, Oregon’s First Lady and Kendall Clawson, Oregon’s Director of Executive Appointments. Two important themes developed during the conversation that should be fueling further and broader discussion in sustainability circles.

Six female members of the Vermont House of Representatives flanked former Democratic Gov. Madeleine Kunin Monday as she announced the launch of Emerge Vermont, an organization that will recruit, train and mentor Democratic women to run for political office.

Kunin said Vermont could be proud that 41 percent of the Vermont Legislature is female and half the 96 Democratic seats in the House are held by women. 

We invite our users to read the complete article published September 23 2013

Vermont’s political “old boys’ club” could have more competition as a national effort to recruit and train female Democratic office-seekers comes to the state.

Former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin announced the formation of Emerge Vermont, a new group that will support women who seek political office in a press conference at City Hall on Monday.

Since the foundation of the United States, of the thousands upon thousands of citizens who have served in elected office, just 23 are Native Americans; this is at every level of government outside tribal lands. 

And of those active politicians, not one currently serves at the federal level. Native Americans in the federal judiciary is even more dismal. 

About 80 young women from Tucson High Magnet School participated in the Running and Winning Political Workshop Thursday.

The workshop, in its 11th year, introduces high school students to politics and encourages them to run for political office in the future by talking with elected officials. It is held at different schools each year for high school juniors and seniors.

The teens planned mock Senate campaigns, discussing topics that included immigration reform, climate change and the death penalty.

It may not have occurred to you, but 85 per cent of Canadians now have a woman as premier. Only five smaller provinces -- the three Maritimes plus Manitoba and Saskatchewan -- don't.

The latest round of national head-scratching about why there aren't more women in politics makes me want to poke out my own eyes with a rusty toasting fork.