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Is there a glass ceiling for female politicians?

Life for women in politics has changed since Kim Campbell was Prime Minister more than two decades ago. Just two years ago things looked very different--with most of Canada being governed by women. But things certainly have changed since then and we're asking why?...
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Life for women in politics has changed since Kim Campbell was Prime Minister more than two decades ago. Just two years ago things looked very different--with most of Canada being governed by women. But things certainly have changed since then and we're asking why?

My generation were told if you want to have equality, you had to be good. so women discovered you could be brilliant and it simply wasn't enough.Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell

It wasn't so long ago that there was a lot of optimism about female leadership in Canada. Just dip into The Current's archives. In 2010, Kathy Dunderdale became Newfoundland and Labrador's first female premier.

Just over a year ago, Kathleen Wynne made history by becoming the first female and openly gay politician to lead Ontario. Those victories contributed to what some saw as a significant shift in the Canadian political landscape: six female premiers governed more than 85 per cent of the population.

But fast forward a year ....

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak lost her seat in the fall. Kathy Dunderdale resigned in January and this weekend, under pressure from her own party, Alberta's Alison Redford will step down.

Is it just bad timing, poor performance, bad judgment? Or does a bias remain against female politicians?

  • Nancy Peckford is the Executive Director of Equal Voice, a non-partisan organization dedicated to the election of more women. She believes that gender bias played a role in the loss of those female leaders. Nancy Peckford was in our Ottawa studio.


What do you think? Is there a gender bias against female politicians or just poor performance? Share your thoughts with us.

Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Or e-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And as always if you missed anything on The Current, grab a podcast.

This segment was produced by The Current's Dawna Dingwall and Pacinthe.

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