Equal Voice has had some lofty ambitions since being formed in 2001. And those goals are continuing ahead of the 2020 Saskatchewan provincial election.
In order to continue to support and encourage women to run at all levels of government, Equal Voice, in partnership with other provincial political organizations and Saskatchewan politicians, is bringing educational opportunities to possible future candidates.
Lindsay Brumwell, chair of Equal Voice’s Saskatchewan chapter, said they have planned a free six-module workshop series for women to ask questions and get answers on how and why they should run for seats on municipal councils and provincial ridings.
One such session on June 4 spoke about rural municipal government with Carmen Sterling, vice-president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, the first woman elected to this position, and reeve of the RM of Weyburn. Sterling was joined by Judy Harwood, reeve of the RM of Corman Park, and Teresa Walker, Division 3 councillor in the RM of Walpole.
The session spoke about the basic roles of rural municipal governments and barriers that women face in running for these positions.
There’s work that needs to be done to address these barriers, Sterling said.
“One of the biggest barriers is getting the accurate information out there as to the expectation and responsibility of getting involved in council and then making sure that that is understood that, whether you're male or female, it doesn't matter (as long as) you're willing to take on those expectations and you have something to bring to the table.”
Sterling and Brumwell were both happy with the turn out to the online session with attendance spanned across the province. Some participants even attended from outside of Saskatchewan wondering how they could get involved in their own provinces, Brumwell said.
Getting more young people involved takes promoting municipal and provincial politics at a young age, Sterling said. She has been asked to speak at schools throughout her political career, she said, and having those conversations promotes young people asking questions and see their involvement as something plausible, even at a young age when people don’t feel they have time to commit to a council position.
Family and work commitments shouldn’t be a barrier for women or young people, Sterling said. When she was first elected to the RM of Weyburn, she was working full time at a bank, she said. All it took was a talk with her employer about giving her time to fulfill her new role.
Brumwell said the biggest question they receive from participants to their series is how to manage family and relationships and balance family and work while also having a political career.
This is why it is important to have women sharing their stories about political success as a way to show that this balance is possible.
All the speakers at the June 4 session agreed that anyone running for government, especially female candidates, should never be afraid to ask questions of their fellow representatives and mentioned that they themselves are always open for questions at any time.
While Equal Voice has already held many of their sessions, Brumwell said they are willing to bring the topics back for more sessions if there is still interest, as well as address other questions and concerns. For more information or questions regarding running for municipal offices, Equal Voice is always available to answer questions, Brumwell said, and can be reached by emailing saskatchewan@equalvoice.ca.
