I do think we have to invite women into politics. I see it all the time in multiple ways. Women are formidable community leaders but are not connecting to formal political spaces, whether it's riding associations, party conventions, or what have you. There is a specific cohort of women across party lines who are very engaged, but when you look at those who are disengaged....
I give Daughters of the Vote as an example. We were really deliberate about how we talked about politics, because we didn't. We did mention the House of Commons as a particular opportunity, and there is no doubt there are women who were very politicized, who brought themselves to the table and pulled up the chair.
However, there are lots of other women who would have not, I think, seized that moment to make an application, except for how we framed the opportunity, which was by asking the following. How do you lead in your community? How are you connected? How are you engaged? What does leadership look like to you? What's your vision for leadership? How do you want to make a difference? It was questions like those that, I think, rendered the opportunity more inclusive. Then, when they got here, those who didn't have a pre-existing connection to political spaces, I think, could better understand and feel comfortable.
I think it is really critical to think about how we use language in formal politics. We always say in Equal Voice that women are not turned off of politics and women are not unengaged in leadership. They are doing so much heavy lifting each and every day in so many ways in their community. The challenge is how to bridge the gap to the formal political arena, and I think we can unpack that in so many different ways.