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yJanine Rodeos-Grant Women have made some definite in- oads into the world of politics during he last decade. The number of women oliticians is most evident at the unicipal level. Women have made ignificant advances at the federal and rovincial/territorial levels. But their umbers remain low, given the fact that omen comprise more than half of the dull population in Canada. Federally, there has been a consistent ise in the number of women candidates nd elected Members of Parliament ince 1980. For example, 27 women ouse of Commons. Still, at this rate, it would take nine more elections for omen to be equally represented. The last decade of progress, howâ€" ever, has witnessed the naming of everal women as federal cabinet miniâ€" sters, as well as the election of Audrey McLaughlin as the first woman leader of a federal political party. The number of women elected at the provincial/territorial level has also in- creased during the 19805. In the 1986 Ontario election, for example, 9 seats were held by women; this figure rose to 21 in 1989, and to 28 in 1990. Ofthe 74 Today, in Ontario, seven women hold Cabinet positions and have consid- erable power as Ministers. Women have also been appointed to two of the most senior cabinet committees - the Policy and Priorities Board and the Manage- ment Board of Cabinet. I As a political force, women are most visible at the municipal level. The municipal councils of nine major Canadian cities, for example, have 25 Percent or more female elected repre- sentatives. Data on municipal repre- sentatives is scant or not recorded beyond the larger urban centres. How- e‘Ier. a perusal of community papers from across Ontario does reveal that Women’s political involvement is greatest at the local level. omen in politics: a decade of progress Primed for Power: Women in Canadian Politics, prepared for the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, offers some explanaâ€" tion for women’s under-representation in the political process at the federal and provincial/territorial levels: Ci the "rules of the game" of politics - long hours, unpredictable schedules, and extensive travel â€" do not provide for gender roles or women's household and family respon- sibilities; Elaiter women acquired the right to hold office, political parties and in- stitutions (organized at a time when women were notconsidered citizens) did little to accommodate the female viewpoint; El even today. political parties are largely controlled by "old boys net- works" who still display more resis- tance to female politicians than does the general public; Dwomen have not had access to the financial resources and power net- works needed to run for office, and do not conform to the traditional profile of a politician; Dthe socialization of women has not ' prepared them for inclusion in politics; Band, mandatOry regulations or measures to increase women’s parâ€" ticipation in politics have not been adopted by political parties. Explanations for women‘s higher participation in municipal politics are also offered: El awoman’s family responsibility and concern for the welfare of her com- munity often motivates her to take political action at the muntcrpal level; Dextensive travel is seldom required of municipal pol iticians; El women who run for municipal office do not require a large amount of capiâ€" ta]; nor is it necessary they have ac- cess to the financial networks re- quired of provincial/territorial and federal politicians; Dand, municipal politics is simply more accommodating with what is at the heart of women’s lives - their family and community. But, the advancement of women in politics cannot be solely based on their numbers and visibility in such institu- tions as Parliament, provincial/terâ€" ritoriallegislaturesandmunicipalcoun- cits. In Primed for Power, political power is more broadly defined as influence and decisionâ€"making on questions of collective interest. This definition al- lows us to focus on other aspects of women‘s political role, beyond the three levels of government. The above definition allows us to consider women’s involvement in various organizations and community and volunteer groups as a form ofpolitiâ€" cal power. Women have, for years, based their ability to run for political office on this record of involvement. There is no doubt that this kind ofinvol- vement is less official and less hierar- chical and structured. But it is an in- tegral part of Canadian political culture; and, it is the basis or "heart and soul" of women’s political culture. The brief profiles on the following pages will introduce you to six Ontario women and their involvement in offi- cial and less official aspects of political activity. Much of this information was extracted from Primed for Power: Women in Canadian Politics, by Chantal Maiile, Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia University, Montreal, November, 1990, Prepared for the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. H St C October, November. December 1991 7