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While men and women are biologically different, the argument is made that the real roots of gender inequality lie in the institutionalized practices and cultural norms of society. The different gender roles played by men and women in the family, and the social learning that prepares them for these roles contributes to the underrepresentation of women in public life. Over the years, Canadian women have faced economic, social, political, professional, and psychological barriers. Slowly through institutional, governmental, and non-governmental action, some of these barriers have started to come down. Still, women are underrepresented in Canadian politics and much work needs to be done for improvement.
Women constitute over 50 percent of the Canadian population but they remain significantly underrepresented in Parliament and the provincial legislatures and within the senior ranks of the bureaucracy. Among the causes is the sexual division of labour within the household, which has reduced women’s opportunities to achieve the necessary experience and professional status that typically provide the basis for recruitment into politics.
The early women’s movement succeeded in winning the franchise beginning in 1916 in Manitoba. The early movement included the famous 1929 Persons case and involved such trailblazing female political activists as Nellie McClung. The second wave of the women’s movement was much more aggressive in its tactics and bold in its objectives. It had the benefit of coinciding with the civil unrest related to race relations and nationalism. Women made several gains as a result, including maternity leave provision, changes to abortion laws, employment equity, and funding for women’s groups. Third wave feminists emphasize individual empowerment and claiming the gains of second wave feminists rather than continuing the narrative of “victimhood.”
In terms of Canadian political office, women have been slowly making improvements even though most representative assemblies across the country still have 25 per cent or less female representation. Recently some gains have been made in terms of female political party leaders. For a brief period, five provinces had female premiers including Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. As of 2015, female premiers remain in Ontario British Columbia, and, most recently, Alberta. In the twenty-first century, a major focus on women in Canadian politics has been there representation in media with many arguing that female politicians are covered differently than their