Women stepping up for byelection nomination a 'promising' sign

While there is some disappointment in that it was a man who won the Progressive Conservative nomination in P.E.I.'s District 10, the Coalition for Women in Government still sees positive signs in the process.

Two of the three candidates for the PC nomination, Sonja Hooper and Susie Dillon, were women.

"While it's unfortunate that the PC party didn't end up nominating a woman, it was promising to see two incredible women seek nominations for the party," coalition executive director Sweta Daboo told Island Morning host Laura Chapin.

"This definitely shows an increase in the interest in women for seeking leadership on the Island."

Getting women to step forward is the first barrier, said Daboo. Women are less likely to see how their experience qualifies them to lead, she said, and the nomination process can be isolating.

There is one woman running in the byelection, Lynne Thiele for the NDP. Zac Murphy will represent the Liberals. Chris van Ouwerkerk is running uncontested for the Greens and is up for confirmation Tuesday.

No date has been set for the byelection. The seat became open when Robert Mitchell resigned as an MLA a month ago.

Currently, seven of the 27 seats in the legislature are filled by women. While the goal is for half the seats to be filled by women, Daboo said women can have a significant impact on legislation when they fill one third of the seats.

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