The new legislature of the House of Commons is still far from parity between men and women: an analysis shows that only 30 % of deputies elected on Monday are women.
104 women were elected – one more than in the last elections, in 2021. Their weight is far from reflecting the Canadian population: they represent only 30 % of the members of the Parliament, at 10 points to reach the joint area located between 40 % and 60 % of the chamber.
Seeing almost as many women elected this year as in 2021 is a surprise, underlines Esther Lapointe, Managing Director of the Women’s Group, Politics and Democracy. The number of candidates in the elections had however decreased by six percentage points between 2021 and 2025. “The only good news is that the elected officials presented themselves in safe constituencies, which they could win,” she analyzes.
Nevertheless, parity is 50 %, she maintains. By calculating the growth rate of the portion of women in Ottawa in the last 10 years, located about 1 % per election, Mme Lapointe discovered that it would take at least 80 years before reaching half of women elected to the current rate.
Canada is located today at 70e rank of the global classification in the proportion of women elected to Parliament, according to data from the Interparliamentary Union.
In parties
The Liberal Party of Canada (PLC), which won the greatest number of seats, was able to elect 67 women, or 39.6 % of the liberal deputies of the 45e Legislature. On the side of the Canada Conservative Party (PCC), elected officials only form 18, 2 % of the Caucus, with 26 deputies. The Bloc Quebecois, on the other hand, will be represented by 6 women, or about 26 % of party deputies.
The new democratic party (NPD, 4 elected out of 7 deputies) and the Green Party (1 elected, only deputy) are the only parties whose number of elected women exceeds that of men.
-These results are explained, according to Esther Lapointe, by the number of female applications proposed by each party. “The NPD has, in its statutes, the obligation of parity of candidates. It’s always the best [parti] there in there. Why, if a party reaches parity, wouldn’t others reach it? »»
According to the expert, it is necessary to legislate on the parity of candidates for the election, in order to give women a real chance of being elected-like countries like Mexico or France, she says. “I wonder what is expected to adopt a law to oblige all the parties to present candidates. We know they [les gouvernements] are able to do so. »»
Several parties have seen their number of candidates decrease between 2021 and 2025. The current socio -political context could explain the situation, argues Mme Lapointe. These elections, rather precipitated, according to her, following the resignation of Justin Trudeau then the pricing threat of Donald Trump, quickly turned the priorities of the parties and their commitment to the female representation. “We are still in a period of crisis, with the election of Trump. »»
Should we expect a joint ministerial cabinet from the Prime Minister, Mark Carney? “With almost 40 % of elected women [au Parti libéral]there is no reason not to have a joint ministers, ”says Esther Lapointe. However, the cabinet he had sworn last March had 13 men and 11 women. “He can’t afford to do this. »»
Recall that the Prime Minister had also eliminated the ministry of women and gender equality from his cabinet.
In Quebec
Among the 78 deputies of Quebec, 26 are women, the third. It is one less than in 2021 and in 2019. Quebec arrives in third place among the provinces that have elected the largest proportion of women; Ontario leads with 37.7 % (46 elected out of 122), followed by Nova Scotia, with 36.4 % (4 out of 11).
Among the 26 Quebec deputies, 19 will sit under the colors of the PLC. A woman was also elected within the PCC, in the district of Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Lévis.
