Only 1 Northern Ontario city council has gender parity. This teacher is changing that.
'Adding a woman's perspective adds a new perspective.'
Out of nine city councils in Northern Ontario, only one has gender parity.
Amanda Kingsley Malo is changing those numbers by getting more women involved in municipal politics.
What began with a tweet is now Canada's first political organization for women focussed on Northern Ontario — PoliticsNOW. As the founder, Chelmsford, Ont., teacher Kingsley Malo is bringing women together to support each other, to identify barriers to women in politics and to come up with solutions to those challenges. Together.
It's the thing that I never knew I was meant to do.- Amanda Kingsley Malo
"Adding a woman's perspective adds a new perspective. And that can change the entire direction your committee is going," says Kingsley Malo.
Earlier this year, CBC — along with White Pine Pictures, the creators of We Are Canada, and Ryerson University — put out a call challenging young change-makers to explain how they were making an impact in their communities. The top 10 #WeAreTheChange submissions were voted on by the public, and Kingsley Malo won. This video, produced by White Pine Pictures, is her grand prize.
Congratulations Kingsley Malo! We know we'll be hearing more from you and PolticsNOW for years to come.