Female Perspectives in Provincial Politics

April 18, 2012 | TYLER SUTTON, PUBLIC SECTOR DIGEST

As of 2008, Canadian women earned on average a total income of $30,100, up from $26,300 in 2000. While the 13 percent growth in average income for women surpassed the 7 percent growth for Canadian men over this same period, men still earned a much higher average income reaching $47,000 by 2008. Income is certainly not the only indicator of the success, well-being and status of women in Canada. In the 2011 Federal election, Canada elected a record 76 women to the House of Commons-that's 24.6 percent of the 308 Members of Parliament. This advancement from the 69 women elected in the 2008 Federal election positioned Canada in 40th place on the Inter-Parliamentary Union's List of Women in National Parliaments-certainly leaving more room for improvement. At the provincial level, women have made exceptional gains with four women now sitting as Premiers across the country. PSD spoke with three of these women, Premier Clark of B.C., Premier Dunderdale of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Premier ...