What We Have Heard

Training in leadership, public speaking, and how to run a campaign are key suggestions the committee received in all public hearings. The obstacles women identified, such as not being taught or encouraged to speak in public, lacking self-confidence, having no experience in campaigning, and no information on a Member's duties culminating in the expressed wish for workshops, training, and learning opportunities in communities.

Leadership training for women was identified as an important tool to increase participation in politics. The Indigenous Women in Leadership program of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity was mentioned as a good example of a program for Indigenous women leaders.

The committee also heard that women encounter the persistent perception that women who run for the first time are not likely to perform well. Women in particular noted that, when first-timers run against male incumbents, the public reasoning of women's inexperience in predicting low performance is regarded a gender-based interpretation and a disincentive to potential women candidates. Gendered comments from the public are expected and predicted by the women we heard from. The perception of low chances of electoral success, particularly against male incumbents, is a disincentive to women.

We heard that women seek assistance in preparing for candidacy. Women asked for opportunities to gain knowledge and experience on how to handle the obstacles they must address and overcome before they feel ready to run for election. In particular women asked that the following initiatives be offered in communities:

Provide a women's forum for discussion and exchange of ideas;

Inform how to put women's issues on political agendas, locally or regionally;

Help to organize meetings amongst women for the purpose of strategizing on how to promote women and make their voices heard; and

Train women how to increase self-confidence, speak in public, and respond to gendered comments.

Campaign schools are known to community members. Participants in our public meetings had either attended one of the Status of Women Campaign Schools, or knew someone who had. The majority of references to the workshops were positive and pointed to specific content elements as useful information.

Several times, we were told the campaign schools' work should be supported and expanded to accommodate the learning needs of women in communities. We heard at every public meeting that women seek more knowledge about the scope of the task of being a candidate and that information on the candidacy process should be easily accessible. Many residents recommended that government should continue to offer campaign-readiness courses and workshops in communities, and bring educational events to the smaller communities rather than holding them only in the larger hubs.

Recommendation 3

The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories task and fund one or more independent individual(s) or organization(s) to deliver the Campaign School for Women initiatives throughout the Northwest Territories and offer more than two workshops in one fiscal year.

After all the feedback committee received on the need for more information and training to help women to prepare to be candidates, we heard that more money needs to be invested into campaign schools initiatives.

For example, it was mentioned that a section on roles and responsibilities is a good start to provide needed information. Many women who came to our public meetings are board members in their home communities and already involved in decision-making positions. The women identified that they require additional and concrete information to move forward to compete for roles at the next level of government.

Consensus Government

A recent poll found that there is a clear gap in self-reported political knowledge among men and women in Canada. A 2018 Abacus data study asked individuals how much they know about politics. Responses showed that women were 19 percent less likely than men to say they know a lot or a fair amount about politics. Research has shown that, while men are likely to think they are qualified to run for office, women, even in positions of high professional achievement, remain reluctant to run because they are concerned they are not qualified enough.

The committee heard that women in the NWT perceive themselves as having insufficient knowledge and understanding of political systems and that they feel a strong need to have easier access to information on the NWT's political system. We heard that there is need to improve and broaden women's access to information across the NWT and to reach each community.

Committee heard that general education and information for candidates is needed in the following areas:

• Learning about the NWT political system;
• Hearing that politics can be a career;
• Understanding functions of the NWT Legislative Assembly;
• Knowing where to find information on how to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly;
• Being aware of the duties and responsibilities of a Member;
• Understanding the requirements to run for an elected seat;
• Understanding the type and depth of knowledge required before one runs for election;
• Learning and practicing public speaking as part of grade school education; and
• Knowing where to find opportunities for leadership training for young women.

It was recommended that this information be presented in the form of pamphlets and a video. The format should be easily accessible in communities and in plain language. Information should be provided on tools such as session calendars, the technologies available at the Assembly, and ways to work remotely. The committee suggests that this might be accomplished through additional and regular communications initiatives.

Recommendation 4

The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends that the Legislative Assembly provide to the public a better understanding of the work of a Member and make available a video and other visual and written materials, including information on the prerequisites, roles and responsibilities, and benefits available to Members. Mr. Speaker, I will now hand the report to the honourable Member for Nunakput.