Long-run patterns in the participation and representation of women in western Canadian provincial elections: 1917-2019.

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2023-04-17
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Abstract
Using the Canadian Elections Database, this thesis codes the gender of all candidates in western Canada’s provincial elections from 1917 to 2019. It then explores the trends and patterns apparent in women’s rate of participation (running for office), and representation (elected to office). A descriptive overview of the region of western Canada is undertaken first. This thesis then analyzes women’s electoral participation and success further into the effect of province, political party, and of ideology (left-right divide). It explores the percentages of female candidates running for office and elected over time, women’s success compared to men, and the effect of gender on difference in average votes. The rates of women running and elected have increased over time. Women have always run and been elected at lower rates than men. Depending on election context, women sometimes receive more average votes than men. More interesting is that this thesis finds women’s increasing direct role in provincial politics in western Canada is not linear. The importance of 1970 for women’s rate of participation and 1980 for women’s rate of representation are highlighted. Before these respective dates, women ran for office and were elected in low static numbers. After these dates women’s rate of participation and representation began to increase much more dramatically and substantively.
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Hayes, A. D. W. (2023). Long-run patterns in the participation and representation of women in western Canadian provincial elections: 1917-2019 (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.