Still Counting, Women in Politics Across Canada

Table 3.1: Women in Canadian Legislatures: Most Recent Elections as of January 23rd, 2008 (updated table 3.1 from Trimble and Arscott, Still Counting)
Province/Territory	Party Elected	Date of Most Recent Election	Number of Seats	Number of Women Elected	% of Women Members	% Change Since Last Election
Manitoba	NDP	2007	57	17	30	+ 9
Quebec	Liberal	2007	125	32	26	- 5
Ontario	Liberal	2007	107	28	26	+ 6
PEI	PC	2007	27	7	26	+ 4
Nfld*	PC	2007	48	11	23	+ 5
BC	Liberal	2005	79	17	22	- 1
CANADA	Conservative	2006	308	63	20	+ 1
NS	PC	2006	52	10	19	+ 8
Sask.	Sask.	2007	58	11	19	0
Alberta	PC	2004	83	13	16	- 5
NB	PC	2006	55	7	13	0**
Yukon	Yukon	2006	17	2	12	- 5
NWT	N/A	2007	19	3	11	+ 5
Nunavut	N/A	2004	19	2	11	+ 5
TOTAL			1054	223	21.2
Note: This table does not include women members who have resigned or retired or elected since the last general election in each jurisdiction. * One seat vacant due to death of a candidate prior to the general election. ** Reduction of the number of seats by 2; the same number of women elected (7).
Election Date/s in all Federal, Provincial and Territorial Jurisdictions	Number of Seats	Number of Women Elected	% of Women Members	% Change in last 5 Years
1 November 2002***	1044	206	19.7
8 November 2008	1054	223	21.2	+ 1.5
28 Elections, 2002-2007	2142	447	20.9
*** Source: Trimble and Arscott, Still Counting: Women in Politics Across Canada, 2003, 50.
Analysis: Since 2002 Number of elections: 28 Increase in the number of women elected across jurisdictions: 17 the number of seats increased overall by 10 Twice the number of seats became available during the five year period no significant change occurred in their distribution by gender On average, women are gaining seats at the rate of half a seat each election or one every two elections across Canada
Hypotheses confirmed from Still Counting The electoral project has stalled; there is no continued progress in electing more, and more diverse, women in recent years. “There’s a crisis; numbers have flat-lined” (Anne McLellan, 22nd January 2007) The electoral representation of women has plateaued below the 25% level predicted as having been within reach at the turn of the century There are fewer women leaders of political parties than previously. Other than Elizabeth May (federal Green Party) http://www.greenparty.ca/en/about_us/elizabeth_may, Carol James (BC, NDP) http://carolejames.bcndp.ca/, Pauline Marois (QB, PQ) http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/Membres/notices/m-n/marp1.shtml there are no other women leaders of political parties across Canada
					J.Arscott 23/01/08