Gender balance on Windsor-Essex councils lacking with 21% women in office

People in Windsor-Essex voted for some big changes on council across the region, but only 1 in 5 of those elected were women.

The City of Windsor and Essex County will have a total of 14women in municipal governmentsfollowing theelectionsMonday night: 11 councillors, two deputy mayors and one mayor. One of the councillors in Tecumseh was acclaimed.

That's 14 out of 67 seats.

Results for Pelee are pending because of the rotating postal worker strike and power outage.

"I think that the change needs to happen now," said Nour Hachem, founder of Build the Dream, an organization that encourages young women to pursue careers in the skilled trades, law enforcement and STEM.

• #WEvotes- CBC Windsor's municipal election coverage

Hachem would like to see more action around the issue, rather than just conversations around the lack of diversity.

She said there should be "very intentional" efforts and initiatives made to make sure women put their names in the hat once 2022 comes around.

She points to Vancouver as a city that seems to have figured it out, by electing eight women to a council that only has 10 seats.

Hachem explainedthe city had set up initiatives to make sure that happened starting four years ago.However, racial diversity is still lacking, she said.

Leamingtonupset

In Leamington, residents chose Hilda MacDonald over John Paterson for mayor.

She will be the second female mayor forthe town since Grace McFarland was elected in 1956.

"I think it's a good way to show forward to the generations coming, to the young women that it is possible, and even at an older age, it is possible as well," said MacDonald.

According to unofficial results, MacDonald won with 4,341 votes 1,808 more than incumbent Paterson who has been in office for two terms.

There were other women who ran but didn't get elected. In Windsor's Ward 4, Janice Campbell lost to incumbent Chris Holt by 3,269 votes.

"Post-election here in Windsor, it seems like we have less diversity and there are no additional women on council," said Campbell in an email statement.

Jo-Anne Gignac remains the only woman on council for Ward 6.

Campbell said if people "really want more diversity, gender balance and broader community representation on council, then you simply need to vote" for more.

As for the women who did get elected to office, Hachem said the conversation needs to shift away from "the token woman."

"We need to see more women come together so you see actual significant change happening and we see greater representation," she said.