Check out my post last week about BlogHer’s inititive to get women bloggers in Canada to work for the next 12 months towards an issue that affects women!
We believe at Antigone Magazine that BlogHer Canada should concentrate on getting more women involved in politics! We feel that it is integrally important to speak about issues that affect women and to help empower women to use their own voices on their behalf. We believe that women’s involvement in politics makes a difference in the policies and legislation that are adopted.
We know this because we have interviewed female politicians in the past who have been the voice that made a difference. Whether it was Kim Campbell talking about being the only female voice at a table surrounded by pro-life men, or Dawn Black telling us about how she helped table the first stalking legislation, and create December 7th as a day of action and remembrance regarding violence against women, we know that having women in politics is a great indicator of the potential for advancement of legislation that is gender sensitive.
There are so many issues affecting women that politicians have the power to make a difference on. Whether it be instituting universal child care or ensuring that the Status of Women Canada continues to help implement programs that bring about women’s equality, just think of what would happen if women became interested and involved in politics from the grassroots upwards!
Part of the reasons why we found it important to start Antigone Magazine was to combat the dominant idea that women have already achieved equality. Many times in our society we hear about how women are already equal and already have equal power to men. Unfortunately, this is not the case in nearly every facet of society. In Canadian politics alone although women represent 52% of the population
Currently only 20.8% of MPs are women.
Up until the Manitobe provincial election, Prince Edward Island led in female representation with 25. 94% of its MLAs being women.
Manitoba now has a ‘groundbreaking’ 31.5% of women in its halls of power.
Nunavut and the Northwest Territories trail with only 10.5%.
At 21.5%, British Columbia finds itself somewhere in the middle.
Around the world, on average, only 16% of elected politicians are women. So, obviously something must be done! Let’s make getting more women involved in politics the priority of BlogHer Canada this year and let’s set a good example for the next generation, for young girls and young boys, by showing them that politics are and should be a women’s world!
So, if you believe this as well and want BlogHer to focus on getting more women involved in politics, then stop by their blog and vote starting July 16th!
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