Press Release: Gender Parity in Canada’s Upper Chamber
Senator Frances Lankin is a former Ontario cabinet minister, and one of the founding members of Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to the election of more women to Parliament and other legislatures. In this press release, Senator Lankin comments on the importance of maintaining gender parity in the Senate of Canada.
OTTAWA, July 29, 2021 – Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced five new senators once again balancing the number of women and men in the Senate of Canada. In December 2020, Canada’s upper house became the first legislative chamber in Canadian history to achieve gender parity but with recent retirements, the number fluctuated. True to his word, the Prime Minister has kept gender parity in mind with the announcement of the five new senators, three of whom are women.
“Many of us are celebrating the growing number of Canadian women taking their place in political leadership in our country. I am happy to see that there is a conscious effort to maintain gender balance in the Senate of Canada and I encourage women from all walks of life to apply to these positions through the independent appointment process,” says Independent Senator Frances Lankin, a long-time advocate for the election of more women to Parliament.
Today’s announcement brings the number of senators to 47 women and 47 men. Quick on the heels of the Northwest Territories, the first legislature to break the 50% women mark, the Senate of Canada comes a close second.
For more information, please contact:
Frances Lankin
Independent Senator
Senate of Canada