Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Establish a NWT Leadership Program for Women
Committee took note of research on the effect of female role models in countries with women legislators. Women in the legislature were found to contribute to closing the gender gap in political participation. Current research found that women legislators serve as role models for women and the proportion of women in cabinet has a stronger effect on participation than the proportion of women in parliament. Women in the legislative assembly have a significant impact on increasing electoral participation. (Beauregard 2017, Kittilson 2019, Liu and Bannaszak 2017)
Examples of existing programs include the UN Women's programs on leadership and participation, programs that work with civil society to uphold women's rights, and strengthen arrangements for gender equality and women's empowerment.
Offering workshops in communities was another point committee heard as a good tool to reach women. The Deline Got'ine Government hosted the 'Gender and Resurgence' workshop for Indigenous women in early May 2019, to reflect on women's initiatives.
"If there was a leadership program here like the one they have in Nova Scotia, it would ignite women's political participation. We already have mentors available [...]. If we are looking at the residential school area, that generation created the NWT. The schools these people went to, they have hidden degrees and all the experience and knowledge they have; we could teach our own." (Paula Chinna, Public Hearing Norman Wells, 5 April 2019)
Several times, committee heard the recommendation for a NWT leadership program for women in politics. The 'Indigenous Women in Leadership' program was offered as an example that could be adapted in developing an NWT leadership course for women. It is a five-day course taught by a faculty of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity geared to "Indigenous women leaders and managers who are responsible for the future of communities and organizations." The program identifies challenges of leadership pertaining to accountability, performance, decision-making, delegation, and mentoring, including social and economic issues, trends and implications.
Committee heard of women in leadership programs offered by St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia as good examples that if adopted in the NWT would ignite women interest in running for elected seats. The Coady International Institute offers women's leadership programs with a separate program focused on Indigenous women.
The committee recommends that the NWT establish a leadership program specifically in support of developing women leadership. Committee heard at every occasion that women in the NWT require support in leadership development and access to leadership networks. Establishing a women's leadership program in the NWT will address this need.
Recommendation 3
The Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly recommends the NWT Legislative Assembly support the new NWT Polytechnic University to establish a leadership program designed to assist women to gain the skills and knowledge to take on leadership roles, including territorial, Indigenous and municipal political positions.
CONCLUSION
Committee was tasked to "identify and implement a wide range of strategies, including positive action, public debate, and training and mentoring for women as leaders, to achieve these goals." The committee was pleased by the level of interest demonstrated by participants during community visits. Committee's work has underlined the existing interest and the need for dialogue on the role of and opportunities for women to participate in territorial politics.
Committee noted in its interim report that, because the realities of each jurisdiction will influence the effects that incentives have on women's participation, electoral systems cannot be the sole tool to increase women's representation. Research confirms that it is important to find that mix of measures that will work best within each socio-economic context. Changing the workplace by providing opportunities for work-life balance also can have a positive effect on increasing the share of women in Legislative Assemblies.
Committee is hopeful that implementation of recommended changes in both, the interim and the final report will advance reaching the proposed goals of this Assembly.
Committee recommends that the 19th Assembly continue the work the committee has begun and further identify the measures that are required to increase the representation of women in the NWT Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 100(4) and to have Committee Report 17-18(3), Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly Final Report, moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today.
---Unanimous consent granted