The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in partnership with of the Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities (FPEIM) hosted a focus group today as part of a Canadian-wide initiative on closing the gender gap. FCM is spearheading a Toward Parity in Municipal Politics program with these consultations as a first step in the process.
Federation of PEI Municipalities President Bruce MacDougall is pleased to host this important dialogue on PEI, saying, “I look forward to a time when the makeup of municipal councils reflects the makeup of the population, and I congratulate FCM for the work it is doing to create a national plan to get more women involved in local politics. FPEIM is pleased to be one of the partners in this initiative.”
“The goal of Toward Parity is simple—to work toward equal representation of women in local office. It is a continuation of the more than decade-long partnership between FCM and Status of Women Canada,” said FCM President Vicki-May Hamm. “That partnership has focused on increasing the representation of women serving and engaged in politics, providing leadership in areas of inclusion and gender equality, and developing tools and resources for municipalities.”
Women in Municipal Government:
- In Canada, women occupy 18% of the mayors positions and 28% of councillors seats
- Following the PEI November 2018 Municipal Elections, 27% of mayors and 40% of councillors are women. [1]
- Additional information on the Toward Parity in Municipal Politics initiative is available at: https://fcm.ca/en/programs/women-in-local-government/toward-parity-in-municipal-politics
[1] https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/2018_elections_summary.pdf