What makes us human, with our diversified life experience and perspectives, regardless of gender, makes us worthy and credible to run for office, but as the only woman who was running in Ward 7, I knew I had to work harder.
I knew going into this that I was going to face more challenges than the men who had chosen to run to fill this empty seat. Luckily, I worked very hard, I put in the time since May 2 to get to know the communities and the issues, and I had solid relatable experience and direct community volunteerism that set me apart from the others that resulted in me winning 54.5 per cent of the vote.
There was 36 men and 13 women (36 per cent) who put their names forward on a ballot in the latest municipal election here in Greater Sudbury. I am proud and humbled to have been elected one of four women to our municipal council, but we still have a way to go to achieving gender parity.
It’s not about “playing the woman card” either. It’s simply about bringing awareness to the gender discrepancy that is so important to effective governance.
There are fewer women running overall and it's not just in Greater Sudbury, but we are getting there. In fact, 30 women in total won their seat in Northern Ontario last week.
Regionally, Timmins and Kirkland Lake have both elected a woman as mayor, and the three councillors with the most votes from North Bay were also women, much to the dismay of longtime Councillor Mark King, who told BayToday.ca that “they have no idea what they are getting into.”
It’s misogynistic comments like this that try to suppress women from taking leadership roles (Editor's note: in follow-up reporting, King clarified he was referring to the new councillors' lack of knowledge about the workload of elected officials, not their gender). It’s not only insulting to the women who put their names forward and won, but also to the voters, who saw the value in casting their support behind them.
Baytoday.ca even led one article with “Old boys club, meet the new girls club” so it’s definitely a hot topic.
During the last five months on the campaign trail, I was able to speak to so many youth and young families. Many of them commented on how inspiring I was to put my name forward. I had countless people of all ages express their gratitude for me stepping up because they recognize that it’s a very important (often thankless) job with so much responsibility; certainly more than most people would ever want to sign up for.
I really hope that when people (of all ages) see women in leadership roles, regardless of age or political status, that it will encourage them to get more involved in different ways in our communities. The effect on our young people to see women in power is invaluable.
But, why does the world need more women involved in all aspects of the political process?
Put simply, it matters because women's representation is necessary to ensure that democracy functions as effectively as possible. Women's political participation also results in tangible gains beyond gender equality; it includes greater responsiveness to citizen’s needs, increased cooperation and a range of policy issues that get considered.
The full and equitable participation of women in public office is essential to building and sustaining strong and vibrant democracies and communities. There is also strong evidence that as more women are elected to office, there is a corollary increase in policies that emphasizes quality of life and reflects priorities of families, women's issues, ethnic and racial minorities, accessibility to services and vulnerable communities of people.
Men and women must work together in order to solve the myriad of problems and concerns in each of our unique communities. In order to meet goals and build strong, sustainable democracies, women must be encouraged, empowered and supported in becoming strong political and community leaders. I'm looking forward to working hard to be just that, as the first woman to be elected councillor for Ward 7.
Frank Madigan has been a very well-known political activist and critic for over 50 years. I had the benefit and pleasure of having him support me for the duration of my campaign. Frank relentlessly lobbied for me at the post office in Capreol almost daily for many weeks, talking to voters as part of my team. He would give me daily updates and he was so proud to call me and say, “Well, my dear, you’ve got so many people saying they are voting for ‘that girl’.”
I even made a TikTok with some of my team to Shania Twain’s “Let’s Go Girls,” which really made its rounds. It was a great way to insert some fun into a stressful campaign and it also helped to engage voters.
I am proud and humbled to have the faith of those who elected me and who see potential in my contribution around the council table. I am excited to join the team and will bring new energy, ambassadorship, courage and decorum to our council.
Natalie Labbée is the councillor-elect for Ward 7 in Greater Sudbury.
