'It's time for change': Mayors mark progress as gender parity in Manitoba municipal politics edges closer

Three mayors elected in communities near Winnipeg on Wednesday say it's incredible to see more women entering municipal politics — even though they still only make up one-fifth of local government in the province.

The number of female elected officials at the municipal level grew three per cent in this year's municipal elections compared to 2014. The data includes municipalities that held their elections in the summer, such as Victoria Beach.

"The people have clearly spoken," said Joy Sul, the newly elected mayor of St. Andrews. "It's time for change."

Sul, who was previously a councillor, defeated incumbent mayor George Pike. She is the first female mayor in 20 years to represent the community, but hardly alone in the female mayors club.

Thompson elected Colleen Smook, its first female mayor, Wednesday. Teulon elected Debbie Kozyra and other municipalities around Winnipeg, including Springfield, East St. Paul and St. Clements also elected female mayors.

In elections this year, 21 women in total were elected as heads of council or mayors — that's out of 137 incorporated municipalities.

1 step forward, 2 back

Despite the gains, women occupy only 211 elected positions in Manitoba municipalities, or 21 per cent of total seats, compared to 798 positions held by men (79 per cent of seats). The data, compiled by CBC, includes elected representatives of local urban districts. 

Mary Agnes Welch, a senior researcher at Probe Research, says there is likely a host of reasons why a minority of local government seats are held by women — from party politics to money to a lack of will on the part of campaign directors to not just identify female candidates, but actively support them to run.

"It feels like it's one step forward, two steps back," she said on Thursday.

While parts of the province saw gains — including Winnipeg, which now has one more woman on council than it did before Wednesday's election — in many other municipalities, no women ran at all. The needle is moving, but frustratingly slowly.

"I'm reluctant to place the onus on women themselves, that they just have to lean in and stand up and run, because I think there are a whole host of complicated barriers," Welch said.

Debbie Fiebelkorn, who was re-elected mayor of St. Clements on Wednesday, said the "old boy's club" is alive and well in a lot of the municipalities in the province.

"You have to keep your head up. You can't let them get to you. You can't let them intimidate you," she said.

When it comes to intimidation tactics, Cheryl Christian, who was elected as mayor of West St. Paul Wednesday, worked with Sul to introduce a motion in 2017 at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities to protect politicians from bullying and harassment.

The motion passed at the association and is now with the province. Christian wants to see the Workplace Health and Safety Act updated to protect elected officials, including women, from bad behaviour.

"Part of the motion was to begin the discussion. It's slow work, it takes time but we've started that discussion," said Christian.

"Everybody needs to have a voice in our community and women have an important contribution to make."

Combining forces

When Sul was first considering a run at mayor it was a lonely road until she linked up with Christian, who was running next door in West St. Paul, and Fiebelkorn in St. Clements.

Now the three women plan to work together on issues that affect all their communities — like attracting more tourism and film projects, and wastewater management. 

"I'm proud to be working now with the new mayors," said Sul.

"Working together, I think that's how you accomplish great things."

With files from Jacques Marcoux.