Justin Trudeau's gender parity in federal cabinet provides hope, inspiration

Justin Trudeau's new gender-balanced federal cabinet will provide hope and inspiration for girls and women interested in getting into politics, says the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government.

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Yesterday's swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall welcomed 15 women to Justin Trudeau's federal cabinet, marking the first time gender parity has been achieved in Canada's team of ministers.

None of P.E.I.'s four MPs is female.

"Well we always say that it's important for girls and young women to see women in positions of leadership," said Dawn Wilson, executive director of the coalition.

"You can't be what you can't see. So having a cabinet with 50 per cent of women sends a clear and powerful message that women's voices and experiences matter."

You can't be what you can't see. Dawn Wilson, P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government

Wilson said seeing so many women in cabinet was a powerful and historic moment for Canadian politics.

She said it was also encouraging to see women handed influential portfolios like Justice, International Trade, and Environment.

The coalition formed a decade ago to find ways to increase women's chances of being elected in all levels of government in P.E.I. Its long-term goal was for women to make up half the P.E.I. legislature by 2015, but that didn't happen: only 18.5 per cent of Island MLAs are women.

History has shown that if women run in P.E.I., they are somewhat (60 per cent) more likely to be elected than men according to the coalition. But the challenge is getting more names on the ballot, and reducing barriers like the perception that politicians work long hours for low pay and little privacy, and the competitive nature of politics.

The coalition believes a new electoral system of proportional representation is the best way to ensure more women are elected provincially.