One-third of the MLAs British Columbians elected during Tuesday's vote were women, marking a historic level of female representation for the province.
Twenty-nine of B.C.’s 85 legislative seats will be held by women, and that number could increase if a male MLA gives up his seat so Premier Christy Clark, who failed to win her riding, can hold a by-election.
Non-profit organization Equal Voice BC said the record-high is a milestone worth celebrating, even though the previous legislature held just two fewer female MLAs.
"These numbers are encouraging and demonstrate that women are able political candidates and voters are ready to elect them," chair Carolyn Jack said in a statement, adding that "we are still a long way from gender equality."
Clark also made history Tuesday becoming the first female Premier ever to be elected in B.C. She previously won the province's top political office through a BC Liberal leadership vote.
Depending on where a male or female MLA steps aside for Clark, Equal Votes BC said women will make up either 34 or 35 per cent of the legislature, the highest of any chamber in Canada.
Of the 50 Liberal MLAs elected this week, 15 are female, compared to 13 of the NDP’s 33. Independent Vicki Huntington from Delta-South brings the overall tally up to 29.
Linda Reid, Liberal MLA of Richmond East, said the culture of women in politics has changed dramatically since she was first elected in 1991. When she arrived to serve as opposition caucus chair, it was a male-dominated environment; the chambers had three washrooms for men and none for women.
“How long will women be in parliament? Long enough that we’ll need to use the washrooms,” she remembered thinking.
Reid said the unique female perspective can be very valuable in the political sphere.
“Women are negotiators, and with that I think you can get a lot done in Victoria,” she said. “I want us to continue to lift the numbers to be truly representative of the population.”
The BC NDP ran the most female candidates in the 2013 election at 32. The Liberals were close behind, nominating 30 women, followed by the Green Party at 13 women and the Conservatives at seven.
These numbers are significant because while female representation is only slightly up from the previous B.C. legislature, 30 per cent is the global standard set by the United Nations for successful and representative democracies.
Kathleen Cross, SFU political communications specialist, said though the change is incremental, and gender is only one differentiating factor, diversity is essential in provincial government.
“Research suggests that when you get to a certain level of representation it can change the tone,” she said. “Gender doesn’t automatically have an effect on political position but it’s one of the influencers.”
Quebec is a close second to B.C. with 32.8 per cent of the legislative seats held by women, while the Northwest Territories is last with only 10.5 per cent.
