Windsor election lacking female mayoral candidates

Windsor hasn't had a female mayor since Elizabeth Kishkon in 1985, and there won't be one for at least another four years.

Of the 12 candidates running for mayor, there's not a single female candidate.

Women do tend to take politics one step at a time. Men don't tend to be as careful that way.- Sandra Pupatello, former Liberal MPP and cabinet minister

"I don't know"I think you have to talk to the individual candidates about why the chose one level of government over the another, and why women are happy to serve as councillor, but not necessarily put their name forward for mayor," said Lydia Miljan, a professor of political science at the University of Windsor

Miljan said women have made great strides in Windsor on the federal and provincial level, but that hasn't translated to more females in municipal politics.

Gender representation in municipal politics poses challenge

The under-representation of women is something the members of Equal Voice are trying to improve. It's a national organization working to increase the number of women in elected office. Donna Dasko is the past national chair of the organization.

"I think that's strange," said Dasko, on no women running for mayor in Windsor. "That's atypical of the country."

Dasko also said 26 per cent of all councillors Canada-wide are women, as opposed to Windsor's figure of 10 per cent. The current city council in Windsor is comprised of 10 men and one woman, Jo-Anne Gignac, who is running again.

Dasko said, provincially and federally, Equal Voices has been trying to get party leaders to nominate more women. In Ontario's provincial election in June the group received pledges from all three main parties to nominate more women.

There are 38 women at Queen's Park serving as MPPs compared with 30 before the election.

"It's a little different municipally because we don't have that party system where we can service pressure points on the system at that level," said Dasko. "Sometimes women don't put themselves forward as candidates because they think they may not be successful or not know enough to run, when in fact they do. Women also don't get a lot of encouragement from leaders in the community to run for office."

Women face different challenges than men

Former Windsor West MPP Sandra Pupatello said she is not surprised there are no women running for mayor, since women are more cautious and tend to run for the top job when they have experience.

"I think women do tend to take politics one step at a time. Men don't tend to be as careful that way," she said. "You'll see guys who will just go for the top job even if they haven't been on council. And good for them. Women don't tend to do that."

Pupatello predicts there could be a number of women running for mayor in the future.

Sarnia and Chatham-Kent are in a similar situation. Four men are running for mayor in Sarnia. In Chatham-Kent, there is one woman running among seven candidates.

Municipal elections across Ontario will be held October 27.