Ready For Her campaign wants more women to run for office

There are two women currently sitting on Calgary's city council.

That's out of 15 seats.

With the next civic election now less than a year away, some people are working to change that. Headed by Stephanie McLean, the minister for the status of women,the province has launched a new campaign, Ready For Her.

Slated to travel to four cities across the province, the campaign consists of a panel of women who have previously run for elected office.

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"We give women in those cities the opportunity to ask us very candid and frank questions," McLean told the Calgary Eyeopener.

"And have frank discussions about what it's like to run for office with the hope of encouraging more women to put their names on ballots for the upcoming municipal election."

After visiting Edmonton on Tuesday, the group will meet in Medicine Hat on Thursday before coming to Calgary on Monday, then on to Lethbridgeon Wednesday.

The Calgary event is set for 7 p.m. at the University of Calgary Dining Centre (blue room).

"Part of our mandate is to increase the amount of women in leadership roles," said McLean.

"And that includes democratic participation and getting more women elected to all levels of office."

Alberta has had two female premiers in recent years former premier Alison Redford, who was the first female to hold the office, and current Premier Rachel Notley but there is still a lot of work to do, said McLean.

"In Edmonton for example, there's only one female city councillor, in Calgary there's only two," she said.

"We know that when women put their names on municipal ballots, they tend to win, statistically, it's just a matter of getting them to a point of putting their name on a ballot."

Coun. Druh Farrell, who has sat on Calgary's city council for the last 15 years, said she had to be asked to run for the first time.

"I was so deeply involved in community work, it seemed like a natural progression, but I had to be asked," she said.

"There was a group of civic leaders who recruited me and that's what coming out of some of this work, is women tend to need to be asked, and asked more than once. I was asked and askedmore than once, and also supported through the process."

There are a number of reasons women might be hesitant torun, said McLean.

"The statistics tend to say women tend to wait until they are overqualified, or feel the need to be overqualified to run, whereas men don't tend to feel that same pressure," she said.

"Additionally, we know women tend to be the caregivers in the home, whether they are caring for another relative or children so there can be additional barriers or perceived barriers."

The first MLA to give birth while in office, McLean said balancing work and family responsibilities can be tough, but it is manageable.

"It's certainly trying but what I'm experiencing is what any parent is," she said.

"That push and pull of work, that sense of am I being a good parent? Am I doing a good job? And always feeling like you're falling short of both.But that's the experience of any working mom, of any working parent. There's some really great moments and while it's been a whirlwind, it's been very rewarding."

Farrell encouragedwomen considering public office to make the leap.

"If you're interested and think you have the skills and want to contribute, certainly don't let your gender hold you back," she said.

A similar campaign, Ask Her, was started in Calgary earlier this year, aimed at getting more women to run for city council. The next civic election in Calgary is set for October 2017.