How diverse are Edmonton's federal election candidates?
Women and visible minorities are under-represented among candidates in the Edmonton-area for the upcoming federal election, according to analysis from CTV News.
A review of Elections Canada data and websites and social media profiles for 56 candidates shows white men are most likely to be running for office across 10 Edmonton-area ridings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Women candidates are outnumbered by a nearly two-to-one ratio compared to male candidates, with 19 women on ballots compared to 37 men.
“This confirms a reality in Canadian politics, that there is still a gap in terms of representation of women and minorities in the political systems,” said MacEwan University political scientist Chaldeans Mensah.
Most parties had close to a gender-balanced roster of Edmonton candidates.
Among the major parties, the Liberals have four women running and the New Democrats have five.
For a second straight election, all 10 Conservative Party candidates in the listed Edmonton area ridings are men.
Edmonton Griesbach has the most women running with four. There are no women candidates running in Edmonton-Wetaskiwin.
Women make up almost exactly 50 per cent of the population, according to the most recent national census.
“The major challenge for the parties is recruiting, making a concerted effort to recruit women, and putting them in winnable ridings where they can have a chance,” said Mensah.
“All parties have a responsibility to encourage more representation of women in politics.”
Visible minorities are similarly unrepresented among candidates compared to population statistics.
Forty-six of the 56 candidates are white, or about 82 per cent of those running in the 10 Edmonton-area ridings.
Mensah says similar to women, diverse candidates face struggles entering the political process and often draw abuse because of their background.
“That stuff can be very scary,” said Mensah. “It really discourages people from entering politics.”
The NDP has the most non-white Edmonton-area candidates with four, followed by the Liberals and Conservatives with three each.
The census shows about 37 per cent of Edmontonians are a visible minority, including those of Indigenous backgrounds.
“I think there is this kind of widespread agreement that there is value to having diverse voices represented in Parliament,” said Mensah.
“We need to have the political parties be more proactive in recruiting people from diverse backgrounds.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.