Dec 8, 2016 - even against a man who had zero on-the-job experience, who bullied ... campaign: data entry, calling on ph
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Women in politics Story: Elisabeth Pfeiffer
For many women, the U.S. election of Donald Trump was simply reality smacking them in the head. It proved double standards for women still exist, that misogyny is still quite prevalent and that a woman with 30 years of experience in the field still couldn’t win — even against a man who had zero on-the-job experience, who bullied and cruelly insulted others, including a disabled reporter and a former beauty pageant winner, and who boasted about sexually assaulting women with his notorious “grab them by the pussy” comment. And it’s an especially pressing issue for women who are currently in politics, for those who might consider leadership roles or serve their community. The effect has potential reverberations here in Canada, and even locally. With Trump’s win, everything women have been fighting for will be regressed, said Whitby Regional Councillor Elizabeth Roy. The political sphere has long been dominated by men, even in Canada. Certainly, the past few years have been better for women in politics than ever before in this country. In 2015, the Liberal cabinet under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau achieved gender parity, but the move wasn’t without its critics. National Post political columnist Andrew Coyne called it a quota system and lamented that women were simply being chosen for their gender rather than their 8
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qualifications. Across the country, at least six provinces have had female premiers to date. But Canada still lags behind in the number of women in elected office. According to a study done by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as of Nov. 1, 2016, Canada ranks 63rd out of 193 countries, based on percentage of women elected to federal office. Of the 338 parliamentary seats, women occupy 88, accounting for 26 percent. Women in politics face challenges that are specific to their gender. While their male counterparts may get called negative names, those aren’t directly associated with them being men. Women, however, are often evaluated based on their clothing choices, looks, even the tone of their voices over their political experience. They are called gendered slurs: a number of Trump supporters could be seen wearing T-shirts that said, “Trump that bitch” — or worse. There are more subtle, insidious power plays faced by women. Oshawa NDP MPP Jennifer French, whose party is not only led by a woman, but has a majority female caucus (11 of its 20 members are women), said she’s received many comments on her outfits and age. French, who is 38, has been called “little lady,” “young lady,” and has even had an older man hold her face and tell her “how pretty I look with my hair up,” she recalled. French is not the only one who’s received these kinds of comments. PickeringUxbridge Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell,
33, has been called “kiddo,” and the almost 50-year-old Councillor Roy, who has more than 20 years of political acumen, has faced the same kind of comments. French and Roy both recalled times when they had to speak up to ensure they weren’t interrupted or ignored. Roy recalled a number of times when a male colleague has taken credit for something she’s done. This type of infantilization or downplaying of women in leadership roles — calling them girls instead of women or ignoring their voices, expertise and work — actually reduces a female candidate’s power, background, experience and capability, explained Marie Bountrogianni, Ryerson University psychology professor and former Liberal MPP. Women, when faced with a political environment that favours men like Trump, may retreat further, explained Marie Bountrogianni, Ryerson University psychology professor and former Liberal MPP. “Women are very practical. They may decide they can do other things with their intelligence and power, and that would be unfortunate.” Instead, she hopes that women will take the second option: mobilize, and support good, strong female candidates. To foster this, women need to support one another, Roy said. “Women are a great resource for each other, but we also share the same context of not being as valued in leadership roles.”
¿Cómo estás?
Pickering-Uxbridge Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell’s five tips for women who are interested in politics: 1. Volunteer on a campaign: O’Connell started volunteering for Ajax MP Mark Holland’s campaign in 2005. This gave her a real sense of how a campaign works and how to connect with people. She encourages volunteering for all different aspects of a campaign: data entry, calling on phone banks, door knocking, working on flyers or material, as she explained: “If you do just one thing, you don’t understand why it all means something bigger in the end.” It turned out to be a huge asset for her when she ran her own campaign. 2. Start out small: When she ran municipally, she would select a few different locations to knock on doors and have meaningful conversations with people. “I would test out ideas, see if it was something the community was interested in without the pressure of time. It also gave me confidence when going into campaign mode and I had to be more efficient at it.” 3. Have realistic expectations: When O’Connell first ran, she didn’t expect to win. She did expect to get experience, connect with people and build up name recognition. “It’s extremely difficult for a non-incumbent to
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Women are a great resource for each other, but we also share the same context of not being as valued in leadership roles.” - Marie Bountrogianni Ryerson University psychology professor and former Liberal MPP.
break through,” she said. Having realistic expectations can put you in a better “head space if you’re not fortunate enough to win” as it can be devastating, she explained. 4. Be underestimated: “When I was first elected to council, I was treated like a oneterm wonder,” O’Connell said. At first, it hurt her ego, but then she realized it actually worked in her favour. “People would write me off and it allowed me to get a lot of things done. When I first ran, my opponent didn’t take me seriously. He went on vacation several times.” The best revenge, she said, is proving those people who underestimate her wrong. 5. Even if you lose, you win: “Even if you lose, if you are out there raising the issue, raising the debate, you give your community a voice.” More women’s voices at the table means that more people are represented and can raise concerns that might otherwise go unheard.
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