Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Political Education

Engaging women at a young age, we heard, is at the heart of getting women to participate in politics. Women had little recollection of learning about politics in school or during activities outside of school. Few women recalled any mention of "politician" as a career choice during their school years. Information on what politicians do and how one becomes one appears to be absent in school curricula and extra-curricular activities.

Young women tend to be exposed to less political information than young men. Research found that, regardless of whether the focus is on academic or extracurricular activities or media habits, women are less likely to be surrounded by political discussion and information. This information gap hinders young women's political ambition.

The committee received feedback on school education and when to best educate students on political systems, including career opportunities. Women recommended including information on civics, consensus government, and politics as a career choice in grade eight in order to reach women at a young age. In support of young women making career choices for leadership in politics, the committee heard that it would be necessary to include information on careers in politics in school career programs.

The committee members also heard words of caution. Being elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly is a position with a time limit. An MLA serves a term of four years, until the Assembly is dissolved for the next election. It was questioned if four years could even be considered a career. Every Member faces the risk of not being re-elected.

The Northern Studies program, which is part of the grade 10 NWT curriculum in high schools, includes learning about Canada's parliamentary system. We heard that it does not specifically teach about consensus government and that not all schools carry out the program with the same intensity and focus. In cases where the program has left notable impression on the students, it was the teacher's special efforts that made the difference.

Visiting the Legislative Assembly was described as a highlight of learning in school. Involving MLAs in the classes of teaching the Northern Studies program was mentioned as an important hands-on experience.

The committee heard that teaching on consensus government could be intensified and that the Northern Studies program is a good opportunity to inform young students about career choices in politics. Women stressed that, while the program is not gender-specific, it provides an excellent opportunity for young women to acquire knowledge on politics that they otherwise may not experience at this age.

Recommendation 5

The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends that the Legislative Assembly take the necessary steps to assist in ensuring that information on the NWT's consensus government is made available to any group, organization or government in the Northwest Territories involved in teaching young women;

Further, the Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends that the Legislative Assembly encourage its Members to be supportive of hands-on learning activities on consensus government, such as school visits to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

Work-Life Balance

The challenge of balancing work and life is magnified for women because women are most often the primary caregivers. Scheduling childcare in an environment that requires short-notice adjustments to work schedules is challenging. Add the necessity for work travel and the outcome is a tricky negotiation among priorities.

Researchers have shown that there are factors that make a Legislative Assembly job particularly challenging for mothers. Such challenges include not being able to take time off to take care of an infant, or to turn off the phone to spend uninterrupted time with children or family. Infant and toddler care may also not be available in close vicinity to the Legislature, requiring additional arrangements particularly to accommodate late sitting hours.

Research has given some attention to leave policies, employer-supported access to childcare, alternative scheduling, and family support to enable work-life balance. However, it has been argued that much work remains to ensure that electoral politics do not present additional barriers to the participation of women.

Measures in Canadian Legislatures Supporting Work-life Balance

In 2016, the House of Commons and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta tasked committees with studying ways to make their legislatures more family-friendly. Each resulted in a report with seven recommendations, many looking to improve Members' schedules. In Alberta, as well as in the NWT, there was concern that votes scheduled at the end of a week's sitting could disrupt the travel arrangements of Members with constituencies furthest away from the Assembly.

Reconciling family and professional life applies to women and men equally, the committee heard. The topic of sessional schedules and sitting hours was raised several times, often by those who had previously been Members.

We heard that the sessional schedule and long sitting hours did not accommodate women Members who had children and family at home outside of Yellowknife. Arrangements had to be made for childcare in the home community, and it was not possible to combine family and work life in one location. Loneliness, we heard, is a hard fact in the lives of women MLAs who spend the weekdays far from their family, home community, riding, or constituency.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to hand the report back to the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.