EDMONTON — The Alberta government wants more women to consider public office.
Municipal elections will be held throughout the province next year, and retiring officials should encourage women to replace them, said Stephanie McLean, the province’s minister of Service Alberta and status of women.
“Women only make up 26 percent of elected officials at the municipal level in Alberta,” she said at the fall meeting of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, which was held in Edmonton Nov. 15-17.
Government has launched an election guide for women who are considering running for office that offers tips on fundraising, campaigning and job expectations.
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In the 2013 municipal election, 490 women were elected for 1,874 positions, and the government hopes to encourage more to run to create more diversity among decision makers.
“The diversity of perspectives makes for better decision making around tables,” she said.
Many qualified women do not consider running for office because of the added demands on their time.
“One of the most profound barriers is work-life balance,” said McLean, who is a working mother who gave birth a week after being sworn into cabinet. “In Alberta, women work an extra 35 hours per week doing household chores and taking care of others.”
