Canada

As the first full day of municipal election campaigning begins in Edmonton, political observers are starting to consider a city council with far fewer women on it.

While the number of candidates running for elected office — 119 — is the highest since the 1970s, the proportion of women running for city council seats is lower than it has been in a decade.

Thirteen of 73 candidates running for ward councillor — 21 percent — are women. In the previous three elections, it was around 25 percent, according to historical data analyzed by CBC News.

It may not have occurred to you, but 85 per cent of Canadians now have a woman as premier. Only five smaller provinces -- the three Maritimes plus Manitoba and Saskatchewan -- don't.

For the first time in Habitat Toronto history, over 35 female politicians, from all levels of government, will set aside their political differences and come together to help build six Habitat homes in support of the 2013 Women Build. Dubbed Women in Politics Build Day, this milestone event will provide City Councillors, MPs and MPPs the opportunity to cross party lines and swing hammers alongside each other to show their common support and belief that affordable homeownership helps break the cycle of poverty.

Across Canada, just one-quarter of our Members of Parliament are women. In many ridings, they’re seen as “sacrificial lambs” running for a party that’s unlikely to win. And Melanee Thomas, a two-time candidate in Lethbridge, isn’t predicting sudden change.

We invite our users to read the full article published September 6 2013

Canada's premiers are backing a call by aboriginal leaders to launch a national public inquiry into the case of missing or murdered aboriginal women, CBC News has learned.

"The premiers at the table agreed to support the call of the Native Women's Association of Canada for a national public inquiry on this very, very important issue," Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said.

When Canada’s premiers sit down next July 25 for their semi-annual summit, they’ll be making history by changing the face of provincial and territorial leadership.

For the first time, there will be six women at the meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., representing about 85 per cent of the country’s population. And at the head of the table will be Kathleen Wynne, who was sworn in as Ontario’s first woman premier just six months ago.

The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular), announced Canada's contribution to two projects that will encourage the participation of women in the political process in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.