by Morinville News Staff
The government is crediting a successful fall tour as motivation to expand their #ReadyForHer campaign to a spring tour encouraging women to run for councils and school boards.
While half of Alberta’s population are women, 23 per cent of the province’s towns and cities do not have a woman on their councils.
In the 2013 municipal elections, Albertans elected women to 490 of 1,874 positions – an average of 26 per cent.
In addition to a kick-off event in Edmonton Thursday night, Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean also launched a new how-to video series on ReadyForHer.alberta.ca, where women politicians share their campaigning tips to help encourage more women to run in the next municipal elections October 16, 2017.
“We know gender parity is possible,” Premier Rachel Notley said in a release Thursday. “We have done it in our government. It’s time to make similar gains at the local and school board levels.”
McLean said city halls and school boards should reflect the communities they serve by electing more women.
“When women run for office in Alberta, they win as often as men,” McLean said. “I’m encouraging more women to run because when Albertans are truly represented, that’s progress for all of us.”
Subsequent events will be held in Sherwood Park on Apr. 24 and in St. Albert on May 11.
The government’s video series can be accessed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvrD8tiHIX1IPj_EyyyeW06cpxmtRzrxG.
