SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Equal Voice

Honourable senators, in early 2001, a small group of women gathered for dinner to talk about the lack of progress in electing women to the House of Commons.

We wanted to do something about it but didn’t know if anybody else cared about this, so we decided to throw a party. We set out to invite our politically minded friends.

To our delight, the party was a smashing success. Women across partisan lines showed up at my house in downtown Toronto: Conservatives Janet Ecker and Laurie Scott; New Democrats Olivia Chow and Peggy Nash; Liberals Maria Minna, Hedy Fry and Penny Collenette; four future senators, Senators Lankin, Omidvar, McPhedran and myself; journalists Doris Anderson and Rosemary Speirs; and about 40 other women.

It was May 6, 2001 — 25 years ago today — and that party was the founding event of Equal Voice. Twenty-five years later, Equal Voice is Canada’s only non-governmental organization, or NGO, dedicated to electing more women to all levels of political office in Canada.

Energized members from that day in 2001 set out to strategize and organize. Over those years, Equal Voice incorporated as a non-profit, set up chapters across the country, launched campaign schools for women and organized youth chapters and mentoring programs.

It created programs like Daughters of the Vote, which brought young women from every federal riding to Ottawa to participate in Parliament and the Senate. It tracked nominations of women across elections and organized conferences and panels. It honoured women — and also sometimes men — with our awards.

Equal Voice embraced women across this country and across the political spectrum. It pressed party leaders to nominate more women.

As a co-founder, I’m so proud and pleased to have worked with Equal Voice’s talented and dedicated leaders over these years. I’m especially pleased that Executive Director Lindsay Brumwell, Board Chair Tessa Ritter and other board members are here today.

We all fully understand that there is much work left to do. In 2001, 20.6% of our Parliament was women; today it is 30.6%. But, sadly, last year’s federal election resulted in an actual, although small, decline in the percentage of women elected from the previous 2021 election.

This twenty-fifth anniversary is an opportunity to recognize the leadership and support of those who have shaped Equal Voice over these years and to also acknowledge the work that lies ahead.

Equality in representation may be elusive, but it remains a goal that is very much worth pursuing.

Thank you, colleagues.