Informed Perspectives Shares New Data on Canada Falling to 71st Globally in Women’s Political Representation, Despite Near-Universal Support for Parity

OTTAWA, Ontario, Sept. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Informed Perspectives reveals that Canada’s status as a global champion of gender equality is under serious threat. In just 25 years, the country has plummeted from 28^th to 71^st place in world rankings for women’s representation. This significant decline highlights the inadequacy of our current approach to achieving parity in Canadian politics. 

This backslide has occurred despite overwhelming support for change. New polling from Abacus Data reveals that gender parity is a core belief for most Canadians, with 86% saying it’s important to have equal representation of men and women in politics at all levels of government.

Democracy Deficit

“Equal representation is fundamentally about democracy and trust,” said Shari Graydon, Catalyst at Informed Perspectives. “Canadians overwhelmingly expect that women should hold the balance of power in politics at all levels, and Canada cannot claim to be a global leader on equality while men dominate at 70% in our highest decision-making body.”

The consequences extend far beyond representation numbers. A significant majority of Canadians understand that gender parity delivers tangible benefits to Canadian democracy, with roughly four in five people saying that ensuring a balance of power among elected representatives leads to: 

• Improved policy outcomes that accurately reflect the diverse realities of the entire population

• Stronger political discourse reflecting increased civility and respect

• More effective governance through increased productivity 

• Stronger democratic legitimacy through greater cross-partisan collaboration

Full article here.