'We all pay the price': Survey finds only 9 per cent of girls aspire to be prime minister
Fewer than one in 10 girls and young women in Canada say they ever aspire to be prime minister, according to a new report, which chalks up the lack of interest in the federal government’s top job largely to concerns about discrimination and sexism.
The report — commissioned by children’s rights organization Plan International — also shows just 12 per cent of Canadian girls and young women have an interest in being an elected official, let alone prime minister.
The Canadian numbers are part of a larger global report, which surveyed nearly 29,000 girls and women aged 15 to 24, from 29 countries, to gauge their level of interest in political participation, and what barriers they say they face in becoming more involved.
According to Plan International, much of the hesitation comes down to “unchecked gender discrimination, stereotyping and blatant sexism.”
“When girls witness the systemic discrimination and abuse our women political leaders face, it can deter those who might have considered engaging in politics otherwise,” said Plan International Canada President and CEO Lindsay Glassco in a press release Tuesday. “In the end, we all pay the price because we are missing out on the valuable contributions of girls and young women to make a positive difference in the world.”
When he was first elected in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to gender parity in cabinet. Now in his third term, the Liberal cabinet is still 50 per cent women. But across party lines, there are 103 female MPs overall, about 30 per cent of the total, compared to 234 men, with one seat currently vacant.
And currently none of the federal political parties recognized in the House of Commons have a female leader.
There have been past initiatives in Canada to encourage women to run for office, including a program called Daughter of the Vote, which in 2017 saw a woman from each of Canada’s 338 ridings travel to Ottawa for a week of events, including experiencing a day in the life of an MP, taking their place in the House of Commons, and in some cases delivering speeches on various topics.
MPs have also studied the barriers facing women when it comes to political engagement, and delivered a list of recommendations to eliminate those barriers in 2019.
The Plan International survey also found about a third of Canadian respondents say they “don’t believe politics is open to young women’s engagement or participation,” while about half believe women in public life “are not treated fairly,” whether because they face abuse and intimidation, or because they’re judged for their appearance.
Meanwhile, this summer saw several instances of harassment and threats towards Canadian female politicians and journalists, including a viral video of a man verbally harassing Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
“Girls and women are not welcome on the political stage, and we need to change that,” Glassco said. “They must see themselves as leaders and political actors and we need their voices. It’s up to all of us to break down the barriers that prevent girls from engaging in political discourse, and it needs to start well before girls reach voting age.”
The nine per cent of girls and women who say they aspire to be prime minister — and the 12 per cent who say they aspire to elected office overall — is in stark contrast to the 96 per cent who asserted in the survey that participation in politics is important.
Still, 94 per cent say the believe girls and women “may face challenges when trying to participate in politics.”
Meanwhile, among respondents in the other 28 countries surveyed, the number of women and girls who said they’d consider running for office was doubled compared to Canada, at 24 per cent internationally. And in Canada, 60 per cent said they do not feel confident about being an electoral candidate, versus 50 per cent internationally.
With files from CTV News’ Sarah Turnbull
IN DEPTH
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
opinion Don Martin: Pierre Poilievre's road to apparent victory will soon start to get rougher
Pierre Poilievre and his Conservatives appear to be on cruise control to a rendezvous with the leader's prime ministerial ambition, but in his latest column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin questions whether the Conservative leader may be peaking too soon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.
What's at stake for Canada after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
Former B.C. school trustee's 'strip-tease artist' remark was defamatory, judge rules
A controversial former school trustee from B.C.'s Fraser Valley who described a political rival as a "strip-tease artist" during an election campaign has been ordered to pay her $45,000 for defamation.
'A sense of urgency': Sask. man accused of abducting daughter calls himself to the stand during trial
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say
Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a bishop was stabbed at the altar during a church service in Sydney on Sunday evening.
Body of 14-year-old boy pulled from Lake Ontario, police say he drowned while swimming
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
'Rust' armourer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'
Local Spotlight
'Why not do it together?': Lifelong friends take part in 'brosectomy' in Vancouver
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
Grain-gobbling bears spark 'no stopping' zone in Banff National Park
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
Deer family appears to accept B.C. man as one of their own
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
Doorbell video shows family of black bears scared off by dog in Sudbury, Ont.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.
Quebec teacher fired after taking leave to be on 'Survivor' reality TV series
A school teacher who took part in the Quebec version of the Survivor reality TV show took time off work to be a contestant is now out of a job.
Young P.E.I. actor fulfills childhood dream to play Anne Shirley
A young actor from Prince Edward Island is getting the chance to fulfill a childhood dream, playing the precocious and iconic Anne Shirley on stage.
From beginner to Olympian: Meet Canada's youngest male to fence on the world stage
Nicholas Zhang, 17, will be competing at the Paris Olympics in July. He is the youngest Canadian male fencer to ever compete in the category.
'It was surreal': Ontario mother gives birth to son on day of solar eclipse
For many, Monday's total solar eclipse will become a distant memory or collection of photos to scroll through in the years to come. But for Alannah Duarte and her family, they'll be reminded of the rare celestial event every year they celebrate their youngest son's birthday, as he was born on the day of the momentous occasion.
Couple lucky to be alive after piece of Montreal highway crashes into their windshield
A Montreal couple is having a hard time driving without stress and is unhappy with the city's maintenance after a chunk of highway crashed into their windshield while driving on Thursday night.