A Gender Balanced Cabinet is a Very Good Thing


As a woman and mother of two teenage daughters I would just like to say thank you to Prime Minister Trudeau for implementing Canada’s first gender balanced cabinet.  It has been long overdue.

There are several reasons why having a gender balanced cabinet should be celebrated.  The first is that these women are occupying real positions of power in our government.  Unfortunately women hold about 20% of the power positions in corporations even though we make up more than 50% of the population.  When women are denied a chair at the table where decisions are made they loss their voice and thus the female perspective is lost.  So it is wonderful to see our government take a leadership role in bringing true equality about. Finally woman’s voices will have a chance to be heard in regards to policy and in the media.  We are able to participate in our own destinies.

Secondly, having these female cabinet ministers be role models for our children opens them up to new possibilities.  They can finally see these women actively participating in our government.  And it is a significant number of women, not just one or two in a sea of men. They will see female faces and hear female voices in the media.  When our young girls can see women doing powerful, important work it plants the possibility and confidence of knowing that they can too.  Hopefully, it will help inspire them to reach even higher as they look at their career possibilities and place in the world.   

These women can also be agents of change for our boys too.  In a patriarchal society the characteristics attributed to males, such as strength and intellect,  are seen as good and the traits attributed to women, such as nurturing and caring, are considered less than.  This faulty thinking leads to seeing men as better candidates for high level positions not only in government but corporations as well.   Seeing more women working in these positions will hopefully help to change stereotypes and normalize the position of woman in power.  Thus, when these young men grow up into adults perhaps they will value what women bring to the table and see the advantage of hiring women to positions of import and power in their companies.  As a society we must recognize that the characteristics of men and women are shared by both sexes and can be expressed in many different ways that have value and merit in many situations. 

I look forward to seeing how Prime Minister Trudeau and his new cabinet perform.  Many things long considered tradition in the government may have to be renegotiated to make it work, flexibility in roles will have to be taken into account, and time and patience will be in order.  But in the end I am positive we will find that this change is good.  Change means that we are not standing still but moving forward through learning and growth.  Not just for women, but for Canada as a whole.
 
 
Note:  I wrote this blog way back in November after the election.  I still feel passionate about this issue and hope it brings about change for the better for my daughters.

 

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