While New Brunswick has never been closer to electing a woman premier for the first time in its history, the major parties in the province are still having difficulty presenting a team of candidates reflecting the diversity of the Company.
According to Elections NB data, among the 207 people who decided to run, there are only 72 women, the same number as in 2020.
With 35% of female candidates, this is a decline of 4% compared to 2018.
In the Liberal Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, 67% of candidates are men (33 out of 49), a figure far from parity.
For the second consecutive election, only the Green Party presents a pool of candidates in a parity zone. In fact, 46% are women.
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Among the other political parties, there are only 10 candidates.
Saint-Jean—Lancaster is the only riding to have only women candidates.
Non-binary candidates
According to Elections NB, three candidates identified with the gender marker X, generally reserved for non-gender people.
A political party will receive funding according to a calculation that takes into account the number of women candidates. Candidates who used the X marker will be included in the number that the law calls “male sex”
specifies Election NB.
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A voter in the voting booth in Dieppe during the general election on September 24, 2018 in New Brunswick.
Photo: The Canadian Press / Darren Calabrese
For this reason, candidates who identify as non-binary have chosen to register under another gender, indicates the Green Party.
This is the case of Mariah Darling who is running in Saint-Jean, who has chosen to officially register as a woman even though she identifies as a non-binary person.
I did so, knowing that gender diverse candidates would not be considered
she explains.
A responsibility that falls to the parties?
For the New Brunswick Feminist Regroupment, the inability of parties to present candidates reflecting the diversity of society is disappointing.
There is a role for the parties to recruit and make a conscious effort to seek out women and minority people, but also to have racialized people, people with disabilities, people who have low income
says Geneviève Latour, president of the New Brunswick Feminist Regroupment.
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Geneviève Latour is the president of the New Brunswick Feminist Regroupment.
Photo : Radio-Canada
Above all, more will have to be done to break down the obstacles that prevent these people from wanting to get involved in politics. She notes, for example, the online harassment that women politicians suffer more of.
They are political people, so you have to wonder why they don’t make the jump to politics
she says. We would have to ask them the question and make the changes that would ensure that, yes, they would want to become MPs.
Recruitment efforts
In 2023, all political parties said they would make recruitment efforts to encourage women to run.
Only the Liberal Party managed to increase its number of candidates this time. I wish it was a higher number
sharing Susan Holtthe Liberal leader.
The reality of politics today is not something that is attractive.
Parity it doesn’t come alone
noted Jo-Ann Robertsthe campaign manager for the Green Party.
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Jo-Ann Roberts is campaign manager for the NB Green Party.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Alix Villeneuve
Men will come to you to say they want to introduce themselves. For women, generally, we have to invite them to introduce themselves.
The obstacles are still numerous, shares Kim Chamberlain, who chose to enter provincial politics after having experienced municipal politics.
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Kim Chamberlain recognizes the difficulty of getting into politics for women.
Photo : Radio-Canada / David Richard
They say a woman can do anything. But when you have 3-year-old and 5-year-old children and you ask them to get involved in the political sector, whether municipal or provincial, it’s very difficult. It’s very demanding
underlines the one who is also mayor of Bathurst.
First Prime Minister
While visiting the University of New Brunswick, the Liberals raised the prospect of electing a first woman prime minister. A poster with this message was installed on a party kiosk.
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The Liberals held up the prospect of electing a first woman at the head of the province in their campaign.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Alix Villeneuve
Susan Holt however, seemed to want to distance itself from it by asserting that it is not part of our provincial campaign.
This is a poster that comes from a member of our team that he created personally.
However, the possibility of being the one to break this glass ceiling takes on special meaning for the Liberal leader.
It seems surreal to me, it’s something I’ve wanted to see for a long time… and now maybe I’m the one who will break that barrier.
In the country, only three provinces have not yet elected a woman as leader: Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
