Halifax election sees fewest number of women run for office in 12 years

Red and white signs dot the highway near Shelley Fashan's home: "No MoreDumps In Our Community."

Thatfight against a construction and demolition waste site in Lake Echo, N.S., pushed the busy community volunteer to finally to run for municipal politics this fall.

"I have three sons, and I thought about it, and you know, this time I just said I'm going to do it," Fashan said.

Fashan is one of 15 women who put their names forward for Halifax Regional Municipality council.

• GRAPHIC: See the breakdown of candidate gender through the years

That's the fewest in 12 years, despite efforts to increase participation, according to a CBC News analysis of the gender of election candidates.

"We want to have a diverse council that reflects the people you serve," Fashan said."At the same time, you will be questioned and challenged on the fact that you are not like the other councillors."

A lot more men

The number of women running in elections between2004 and2016 has hovered around the high teens over the last decade or so. The most, 20, ran in 2008.

On any given election year, between 40 and 70 men run for council. Thegap between men and women in Halifax municipal politics has barely improved;it only narrows in years whenfewer men run.

In this election, about 2.7 men are running for each woman.

The lack of diversity in council and among candidates has gotten attention this year. Council is currently all white and only a quarter are women Coun. Jennifer Watts refrainedfrom seeking re-election thisyear, saying it wasto encourage amore diverse candidateto take her place.

The average across Canada also is about a quarter, despite women making up half the population, according to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

• Candidates seek to break Halifax council's all-white mould

Search for solutions

Ahead of each municipal election, governments and community groups hold workshops to encourage greater political participation.

Some have suggested more practical solutions such assetting term limits, contributing public funds to campaignsand making donations tax deductible.

The municipality know something's notworking, saidKsaMunroe-Anderson, Halifax's African Nova Scotian affairs adviser.

"Historically, very few women run, and historically, there's only been one non-white person who's been elected," she said.

That person was Graham Downey, who was the councillor in District 12, but was defeated in 2000.

• Halifax District 8 candidates share thoughts on diversity

'It won't happen overnight'

Halifax is one of five Canadian municipalities participating in a program, Diverse Voices for Change. Part of the programtrackswho's running for council and applying for jobs in five Canadian municipalities, in hopes of findingsolutions that work.

"Those systemic barriers that have been put in place for hundreds and hundreds of years will take time to dismantle," saidMunroe-Anderson, who's working on the program.

"It won't happen overnight, because from the beginning of timewomen have been fighting this battle to be equal."

'On my radar for years'

In HRM, there are women, like Fashan, who have long debated running for council. Michelle Porter, founder of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, has been vocalabout poverty reduction and increasing affordable housing, yet feels she's not qualified to run.

"Have I ever thought about it? Yes. Has anyone approached me about it? No. It would have to come from someone else just because of how I am," Porter said.

"It's something that definitely has been on my radar for years."

• Woman accuses former council colleagues of backroom decision making, aggression

Time, money a problem

Gabriel Enxuga, Halifax's first transgender candidate,said he's able to run in partbecause he's single and childless.

"Entering into politics is a pretty big undertaking," he said.

"It's a big time commitment. It's a big financial commitment, especially for people who are maybe not represented in traditional politics."

Enxuga said it helps that he's backed by an anti-capitalistgroupcalledDartmouth Solidarity, which supports him by organizing help.

'An incredible resource'

The person who is leading the FCM study nationally says she's heard "pretty horrifying" stories about what some women have faced in office, such as bullying. She's hopeful Halifax's lack of council genderdiversity changes.

"Women, they're an incredible resource, and they will make our communities that much stronger," said Chris Fonseca, who's also a councillor in Mississauga, Ont.

"They're still very resourceful, they're resilient and they're coming up with policies to make change not only for themselves and their family, but for the community."

The election wraps up Oct. 15.

On mobile? View the graphic showing Halifax's political gender gap here.