When's Mom coming home from the house?

A P.E.I. women's group is launching a national study to find out what life as a female politician is really like.

'What kinds of provisions and policies exist in other provinces that assist women' Dianne Porter

The P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government initiated the studyto helpwomen understand what they are getting into when they make a commitment to political life.

"Whether it be meeting with constituents, dictating letters, answering phone calls, attending community events, time in the house, time in house committees all of the aspects of their lives," said coalition member Dianne Porter.

Of particular concern for women, said Porter, is howwell politicians can balance their work and family lives.

The coalition is putting together an online survey with questions about how politicians spend their days, which it hopes all 27 members of the P.E.I. legislature will fill out. It will also seek out a sampling of provincial politicians from other parts of Canada to determine if political life on the Island is similar to the rest of the country.

It will follow up the online survey with focus groups and interviews.

Porter said determining what politicians do with their days is an important first step in getting more women interested in running for office. The survey will also explore what the provinces are currently doing to make life in politics easier for women.

"What kinds of provisions and policies exist in other provinces that assist women MLAs, whether they be on-site child care, whether they be some policies around the time that the house sits, or hours of operation," said Porter.

Earlier this year the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government got a commitment fromprovincial political parties to run at least nine female candidates each in the next election one third of their entire slate.