More Women Elected to Nova Scotia Legislature

More women than ever will sit in the next session of Nova Scotia's legislature.

The nine women elected on Tuesday, June 13, make up 17 per cent of the members of the Legislative Assembly, and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women is celebrating the achievement.

"I'm excited about this accomplishment for our province," said Sonja Power, chair of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. "We still need more women in the House of Assembly, but we're starting to see improvement."

Women contribute to public decision-making in many ways, including being elected to public office. They volunteer for provincial agencies, boards, and commissions and for municipal boards and committees; they voice their opinions in public consultations; they support candidates in elections; and they become informed about issues and vote.

Ms. Power says women's participation in public decision-making is vital for two reasons. First, without women, half the talent pool is being missed. Second, when women are not adequately represented at the table, their perspectives and concerns can be lost.

The United Nations estimates that at least 30 per cent of a decision-making body must be women in order for women's concerns to be adequately represented.

"We're fortunate that so many women offered to run in this election," said Ms. Power. "Standing for political office is hard work, and it's not a sure thing."

She also thanked the Nova Scotians who supported women candidates: all the political parties, many riding associations, and countless individuals who worked behind the scenes during the election.

The Advisory Council on the Status of Women has held two non-partisan campaign schools for women and will hold workshops in two more communities this year. It also works with the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, the YWCA, and Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations on a project to encourage more women to take part in municipal government. More information is available on the council's website at www.gov.ns.ca/staw .