“Stunning paternalistic,” writes MPM faculty member Jennifer Robson in iPolitics on Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women” remark in the second U.S. presidential debate. However, she argues that a debate on gender equity in Canadian politics is long overdue. In the last federal election, she points out, 29% of candidates were women but only 16% of them were elected. The NDP ran more female candidates but female Conservative candidates were more likely to be successful. Meanwhile, among 16 senior political offices in Parliament (for example Speaker, party House Leaders and Whips), only four (or 25%) are held by women. “Liberals have never, not once, had a female House Leader.” And among political staff, there are only 11 female chiefs of staff to federal ministers, or 27 per cent.
Read the full article at: http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/10/21/jennifer-robson-romneys-position-on-gender-inclusion-stunningly-paternalistic/