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Canada: 'Glass cliff' theory may shed light on why there are more female premiers in Canada

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Canada: 'Glass cliff' theory may shed light on why there are more female premiers in Canada

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Pauline Marois made Canadian history Tuesday night as the first female premier of Quebec and the fifth woman currently at the helm of a Canadian province or territory.

After the Parti Quebecois’ minority win, Marois joined the likes of Alberta Premier Alison Redford, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, Newfoundland Premier Kathy Dunderdale and Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak.

It’s unclear if this influx of female leaders in our country is here to stay, though, according to one Canadian politics expert.

“The glass cliff,” a popular business theory that’s slowly seeping into political study, may be what led to several women being elected to the highest power in five provinces, according to Melanee Thomas, a University of Calgary assistant professor who specializes in gender and politics.

The glass cliff refers to a situation in which someone has been promoted into a risky, difficult job where the chances of failure are high. It's not necessarily always a woman, but an unconventional choice.

Read more at Global News, published 5 September 2012.
News

Pauline Marois made Canadian history Tuesday night as the first female premier of Quebec and the fifth woman currently at the helm of a Canadian province or territory.

After the Parti Quebecois’ minority win, Marois joined the likes of Alberta Premier Alison Redford, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, Newfoundland Premier Kathy Dunderdale and Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak.

It’s unclear if this influx of female leaders in our country is here to stay, though, according to one Canadian politics expert.

“The glass cliff,” a popular business theory that’s slowly seeping into political study, may be what led to several women being elected to the highest power in five provinces, according to Melanee Thomas, a University of Calgary assistant professor who specializes in gender and politics.

The glass cliff refers to a situation in which someone has been promoted into a risky, difficult job where the chances of failure are high. It's not necessarily always a woman, but an unconventional choice.

Read more at Global News, published 5 September 2012.
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