Beyond the Vote: Breaking Barriers for Women

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Like our neighbours down south, we’re also gearing up for provincial, municipal, and school board elections in our city. So, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on the unique challenges women face in politics. And who better to talk with than Regina’s first-ever female mayor, Sandra Masters?! She shares her experiences and insights as a woman in politics, and her story reminds us of what’s possible when women break barriers and pave the way for others.

Ready for some stats? Brace yourselves: women hold only 27% of national parliament seats and about 35.5% of local governments globally. Only 27 countries worldwide are led by women—out of nearly 200. At this rate, we won’t see gender parity in global politics for another 39 years. Let that sink in.

Zooming in on Canada, women make up just over 30% of the federal parliament, with a recent push to balance gender in the cabinet since 2016. However, in Saskatchewan, only about 28% of provincial representatives are women, with just six women holding cabinet roles. It’s not much better on the municipal level. While Regina elected our first female mayor, Sandra Masters, our neighbours in Saskatoon have yet to follow suit.

Why Is Women’s Underrepresentation Still So Common?

The barriers are deeply systemic. Women face limited access to funding, fewer support networks, and the extra challenge of balancing family and career expectations. And once they’re in office? Women politicians experience disproportionate online harassment, often sexualized or violent in nature.

Online abuse isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s a major deterrent. Canada’s global ranking in gender parity for politics has dropped, and increasing online toxicity is part of the reason. Women of colour and those with other intersecting identities are hit hardest, with disinformation campaigns and hate aimed directly at them. This is real and frightening—just ask MP Iqra Khalid, who received over 90,000 hate messages after condemning Islamophobia in 2017.

What We Can Do to Turn the Tide

It’s high time we stood up for women in politics and demanded better. Listen to the full episode to hear what we need to make it happen!

When we empower women to lead, we don’t just make politics fairer—we build a future where all voices are valued.

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