Percentage of female candidates in London’s municipal election dips slightly

Despite a conscious effort to boost female representation in politics, the percentage of women who’ve put their names on the municipal election ballot in London has dipped slightly compared to years past.

Just 24 per cent of the candidates vying to become a councillor or the mayor this fall are women. That’s down two per cent from the 26 per cent figure in both the 2010 and the 2014 election.

“What I’m hearing is it’s not worth entering the political arena in the state that it’s in,” said Anne-Marie Sanchez, the chair of Woman and Politics.

The citizen-led initiative offers resources and workshops in an effort to increase female representation in the political sphere. Sanchez emphasized it’s not that women aren’t political — it’s that they’re being political in other ways.

Sheryl Rooth of the London Transit Commission, Susan Toth and Vanessa Ambtman-Smith of the London Police Services Board, Shelley Carr of the London Cycle Link board, and Julie Baumann and Jodi Hall of Safe Space London are a few examples.

“If you look around, women are political,” said Sanchez.

But when it comes to becoming a politician, Sanchez said there is a “negative atmosphere” that can make it difficult to put one’s self out there.

“At all levels of government, there’s a level of cynicism, there’s a level of division. And between the right and the left, there’s a real polarization and I think that can be more difficult to enter for the first time.”

Sanchez adds there also needs to be a conversation about some of the systemic issues women face.

“The pervasive sexual harassment or online harassment — I think women see that and think that it’s just not worth it.”

“I value every woman who has come forward. I value the diversity of women that are coming forward and I’m not surprised that we weren’t able to move the dial.”

Among the 23 per cent of women running for election in the fall is Elizabeth Peloza, a first-time candidate running for Ward 12 councillor.

“I think if we look at politics, it can be a very aggressive and attacking domain to work in,” she explained.

Having put her career on hold in the past to raise her three children, Peloza said she’s no stranger to questions about what her husband does.

Though she considers it to be a fair question, she said it’s hard not to feel frustrated when it comes up.

“Are you trying to validate me by what he does? Because I’d just had listed off a bunch of stuff that I’d done to service my community.”

Peloza said she’s become firm in who she is, and what she’s doing.

“It’s really hard to balance what other people’s expectations are of you, what your expectations are of you, what your children still need from you, and just finding that balance between giving back to your community while still maintaining… all the things that you still want to do and make you, you.”