Calgary group encourages more women to engage in politics

Their research shows women are less comfortable in politics and, with just weeks to go until the federal election, members of a group out of Calgary are trying to change that.

The group is called Canada: Powered by Women.

Dr. Lucy Miller is with the group, and she said it commissioned research which found:

• women are less likely to feel fully informed about all issues;
• women are less likely to raise political topics first in a social setting; and,
• women are slightly less likely to feel the average citizen’s views are represented in the media.

“So we thought, ‘You know what? I wonder if a group of women can come together and give other women an opportunity to have a voice, to come to a safe space to talk politics and disagree without being disagreeable,’ ” explained Miller.

Much of the group’s outreach is through social media like Instagram. They post questions like, “What could Canada do differently to have the greatest impact on global emissions?” and “What’s the most direct path to a safe future?”

The group is also holding events across the country, including one scheduled for the Wascana Country Club at noon on Thursday.

Miller said she has never been involved in politics but decided she couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore, saying this is an important election.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the country more divided or angry or rudderless and there’s such a lack of understanding about the big issues and how they’re all connected,” she said.

The group has roots in the oil and gas industry, with tens of thousands of dollars in donations from companies in the oil and gas industry and people involved in the industry listed on the group’s third-party campaign return report.

Miller said the group was formed in the summer because the women had come together, concerned about what was happening in Canada over the past four years.

However, Miller said the group’s members aren’t trying to tell people how to vote.

“What we’re saying is, take the time to have these conversations so that, come election day, you will feel that you’re in a position to support somebody and really understand what you’re supporting,” Miller said. “And if you do that, then your one vote will make a difference.”