Author: Janine Marshall-Giles
The 2004-2008 Looking West Surveys include a wide range of public policy questions and measures of democratic participation and attitudes. This report offers a gender analysis of the opinions of western Canadians on key policy areas. Included are perennially important issues such as healthcare, education and taxes, local issues such as transportation and affordable housing, and questions of western identity and western alienation.
Women and men’s public opinion differ the most on social and environmental issues because women feel stronger about government doing something to improve social programs and addressing concerns about the environment. At the same time, women’s flagging political engagement means that their unique policy preferences do not receive the same public exposure as men’s. As long as women remain more reticent than men to engage in political activity, their stronger opinions about social and environmental policy will not be reflected in public policy.
Key findings of the report include:
Public Policy Issues
Women and men share the same five top priorities in the 2008 Looking West Survey. The strength of support for the top four issues, however, varies substantially by gender. Women were much more likely to believe that improving the province’s health care system, doing more for the environment, reducing greenhouse gases and reducing poverty in Canada were very important issues. The gender gaps in these areas were between 13 and 17 percentage points.
Local Issues
At the local level, however, there was some disagreement on which issues were the most important. Men and women both rated crime in the community as the greatest concern. Women were slightly more likely to say that reducing crime in the city was a very important priority. There was a large discrepancy in women and men’s ranking of the importance of reducing homelessness and increasing the supply of affordable housing. There was a 10 to 12 percentage point gender difference on both of these issues with women leaning toward the compassionate side – in favour of increasing affordable housing and reducing homelessness.
Western Grievances and Democratic Reform
The results show that men and women share similar attitudes toward western alienation. Most westerners believe that the West is a distinct region; they are skeptical about the amount of money their province receives from federal transfers and are not satisfied with the way provincial interests are represented in Ottawa. The strength and uniformity of support for the notion that the West is not treated well by Ottawa indicates that political discontent in the West is an integral part of the political culture for women and men.
The greatest gender divergence, however, is on how western grievances can be best addressed. Fewer women agree with the statement that their province should economically separate from Canada. In Alberta, a majority of women believe that getting more western MPs in cabinet is the best way to address western political concerns while men are more likely to put their faith in Senate reform and giving provinces more power to make key policy decisions.
Democratic Engagement
When it comes to getting involved in politics, women are less likely to contact elected officials, donate to a political party, discuss issues online and volunteer for a political party. On the other hand, women are just as likely, if not more likely, to partake in protest activities like boycotting or signing a petition. The discrepancy between men and women’s likelihood to contact elected officials and discussing politics indicates that women are not taking the opportunities to express their strong concern for social and environmental issues. It also points to a larger problem: women are less likely to make up those who shape the political agenda – elite party members and elected party representatives.
What does this mean for the inclusion of women in public policy-formation?
Academic research has shown that women’s opinions toward public policy are becoming more distinct which makes the issue of women’s political involvement increasingly important. The recommendations in this report are aimed to address the disconnect between women’s unique public opinion, political participation and policy formation. First, female role models – mothers talking about politics at home and elected women in the most powerful positions of elected office – are critical for dispelling the myth that politics is an unnatural place for women. Second, political parties can reach out to women to encourage them to run for party executive positions and local candidate nominations so that women play a larger role in shaping the agenda of political parties and have an impact on policy outcomes.