Making Gender Count

The June 28 federal election produced an unfamiliar outcome for Canadians: the first minority government in 25 years and the first Liberal minority in more than 30. With only 65 female members elected to the expanded House (exactly two more than in the 2000 election), the outcome for women in Parliament was unfortunately all too familiar. Women now fill 21.1 percent of 308 seats in the House of Commons, a paltry gain of only 0.2 percentage points more than 2000 results. Once again, they are stalled at a one-fifth level, the de facto glass ceiling so persistently hard to overcome.

The news for women was equally disappointing three weeks later, when Prime Minister Paul Martin announced his new Cabinet. This time, there were still 39 Cabinet ministers in total but two fewer female members, down to nine in the new Cabinet. “Where did all the women go?” asked Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson. Well, five were relegated to minor portfolios and only four...