Empowering Girls to Lead

5 Steps to Encourage Political Involvement For the Girls In Your Life

As we celebrate International Women's Month, it's important to remember that empowering young girls to get involved in politics is crucial to creating a more equal and representative society. While politics can seem intimidating and overwhelming, we can all take a few simple steps to encourage girls to get involved and make a difference in their communities.

1. Start Early

Encouraging young girls to build their leadership skills early on can be a great way to set them on the path toward political success. One way to do this is by encouraging them to get involved in student government or extracurricular activities that promote leadership and community involvement. This can include clubs that focus on community service, student council, or even sports teams where they can develop teamwork and communication skills. By starting early, girls can gain the confidence and experience they need to become successful leaders later in life.

2. Highlight Role Models

Girls must see other women in leadership roles to visualize themselves in those positions. By being a role model, you can inspire young girls to get involved in politics and make a difference in their communities. This can include sharing your own experiences and stories of success and introducing them to other women in leadership roles who they can look up to. By showing girls that women can be successful in politics, we can inspire them to pursue their own goals and dreams.

Here are just a few to get you started:

1. The Right Honourable Kim Campbell - Canada's first female Prime Minister (1993-1994), also served as Minister of National Defence and Minister of Justice.

2. Jody Wilson-Raybould - Former MP and Minister of Justice, an advocate for Indigenous rights and reconciliation in Canada.

3. Chrystia Freeland - Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, a champion for free trade and international trade agreements.

4. Rosemary Brown - First Black woman to be elected to a Canadian provincial legislature (1972), a champion of women's and minority rights, and instrumental in the creation of Canada's multiculturalism policy.

5. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon - Former Canadian diplomat and Inuk leader who was appointed as Canada's first Indigenous Governor General; an advocate for Indigenous rights and reconciliation, as well as climate action and environmental protection.

looking to be inspired by northern ontario women? check out our blog series on the women who ran for council in the 2022 ontario municipal election.

3. Make it Accessible

Politics can seem like an exclusive club, but it doesn't have to be. By making politics accessible, we can encourage more young girls to participate and make a difference in their communities. This can include encouraging them to attend council meetings, engaging with their local representatives, and asking questions. Girls must know that their voices matter and that they have a place at the table. By providing them with the tools and resources they need to get involved, we can help them become successful leaders and advocates for change.

4. Highlight the Issues

Young girls are more likely to get involved in politics if they see the issues they care about being discussed and addressed. We can encourage girls to speak up and take action by highlighting the issues that matter to them. This can include encouraging them to attend rallies or protests, writing letters to local representatives, or even running for office. By giving them the tools and resources they need to make a difference, we can empower young girls to become advocates for change and help create a better future for all.

What are 5 books girls and their parents can read to empower them to become advocates for change:

1. "I Am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai: In this memoir, Malala shares her incredible story of standing up to the Taliban in Pakistan and fighting for girls' education. Her bravery and determination are truly inspiring and show young readers that even the smallest voices can make a big impact.

2. "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas: This powerful novel follows the story of Starr Carter, a black teenager who witnesses the fatal shooting of her unarmed friend by a police officer. The book addresses important issues around racism, police brutality, and activism, and encourages young readers to use their voices to fight for change.

3. "Rad Girls Can" by Kate Schatz: This book features 50 real-life stories of young girls and women who have made a difference in the world. From activists to scientists to athletes, these stories are sure to inspire readers and show them that anything is possible if they work hard and believe in themselves.

4. “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers” by Rebel Girls. A collection of inspiring stories featuring extraordinary young women who are making a difference in the world, including well-known figures like Greta Thunberg and up-and-coming changemakers like inventor Vinisha Umashankar and poet Alexandra Huynh. Each story is accompanied by a bold portrait created by young female and nonbinary artists.

5. “Govern Like a Girl: The Women Who Became Canada’s First Ministers” by Kate Graham: Thirteen Canadian female politicians, including one Prime Minister and twelve Premiers, are highlighted in this book. The stories of their childhoods, political careers, and differences from male politicians are told to inspire future female leaders.

5. Celebrate Success

When girls get involved in politics and make a difference, it's important to celebrate their achievements. This can include recognizing them publicly, providing them with opportunities for growth and development, or simply congratulating them on a job well done. By celebrating their successes, we can build their confidence and inspire them to continue making a difference in their communities. This can also encourage other young girls to participate in politics and contribute to the world.

Celebrating success for girls in politics can also involve engaging the community. This can be done through public events, such as panel discussions, town halls, or networking events showcasing girls' political accomplishments. By involving the community in celebrating their success, we can build a sense of pride and unity and inspire others to participate in politics and make a difference.

TL;DR

Encouraging young girls to get involved in politics is crucial for building a more equal and representative society. We can achieve this by providing role models, making politics accessible, highlighting issues, and celebrating success. Let's work together to inspire girls to make a difference in their communities and create a brighter future in politics.

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Small Towns Leading the Way

I have a theory about how rural towns are actually leading the way when it comes to equity in politics.

I spent some time at FONOM (Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities)’s annual conference and I had the opportunity to speak to a variety of mayors, councillors and municipal staff from all over Northeastern Ontario. The conversations were eye-opening. 

Yes, there were a lot of men there. But there was also a lot of women. I looked carefully at their nametags and saw many of them were councillors and mayors. I’ve looked for data online for the names of councillors in northern rural towns but I haven’t gotten very far, so this fascinated me. I sought them out specifically to speak to them about their experiences.

The first pair of women that I met told me that they had gender parity on their council. I thought it might be a one-off until I met another woman who told me the same about her town council. I cruised through the conference, seeking out women in positions of power, and many of those women agreed - they were often not the only woman on their council and if their council didn’t have gender parity, it was usually pretty close to achieving it.

Many of the stories that they shared with me of how they entered politics were very similar, too. The woman in question had been a dedicated volunteer for her community for years, and then, a closure of some sort threatened to affect the town (usually a church, a school or a vital organisation). As a result, she had to spring into action to save the local landmark. After it was all said and done, someone suggested that she run for elected office so that she could continue to She didn’t feel like she faced sexism on her council. There, she felt safe and respected. The minute that she stepped out of her town, though, she noticed her male counterparts were often asked questions first or were regarded as the expert on their municipality.

What gives? How is it that rural towns in Ontario are leading the way for equity in politics?

Here is my working theory.

The one thing that these women had in common were that they were community leaders prior to being elected. They had all been dedicated volunteers - members of parent/teacher councils, coaches on sports teams, organisers of community events, members of community organisations, founder of community initiatives. They had been dedicated to the betterment of the communities for years before getting involved in municipal politics. Those roles are more noticeable in small towns, where everybody is connected. When these women are running for election, people are eager to vote for them because they have been proven community leaders for years. 

I think that might be what is missing in cities, and why equity in politics is harder to reach there. While these roles exist in cities, they are not as noticeable or even considered remarkable. As a result, these roles join the long list of silent work that women do to ensure that our communities, no matter how big or small, are functional. We need everyone to start realising that these women are leaders and that their training on our community organisations are as valuable as the traditional experience and background we would normally look for in our politicians.

If these women can be the backbone of our communities, they can easily be the leaders of our wards, cities and ridings.

This blog post has been cross posted at Women's March Canada and Medium.

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