Meili Responds To SNDW

The Saskatchewan New Democratic Women (SNDW) issued questions to each of the four leadership candidates. Today we are publishing Ryan Meili's responses:

(Q) What steps will you take to ensure that women have greater participation in leadership positions at all levels within the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party?

· Too often in our party, there has been no succession planning, no deliberate process of institutional renewal in constituency associations and party sections. We should be constantly identifying and mentoring potential new leaders. This process includes a determined effort to seek out women, and people from other under-represented groups, as candidates and party leaders.

· Coordinated mentorship from women and men in caucus, on the executive and in other leadership roles in the party will foster the involvement of the next generation of women leaders.

· Retreats and courses for female party activists, particularly involving current and former female MLAs and party office holders, would help interested women chart their own political future.

· Hiring a staff organizer for the SNDW who could facilitate this process would support a more proactive approach to identifying and mentoring potential future leaders for the party’s internal structures, as well as future candidates.

· As with Provincial Council, where there are several positions to be elected at once, it is a simple matter to require gender equity. Where there is one office (ie, party president), it is important to ensure that the nominating committee gives due consideration to female candidates.

Perhaps the most important strategy is to have policies that address issues that are important to women. If we advocate for pay equity, affordable child care and other policies that address societal inequities lines, we will attract more women to the party as voters, members and leaders.


(Q) What specific actions will you take to ensure the NDP meets its goal of having women make up 50 per cent of candidates in the 2011 election?

· Candidate recruitment must include identifying strong and credible female candidates in every constituency. Over the next 18 months, I will continue to work with party leaders and other progressives in every constituency to identify potential candidates.

· We should adapt the federal party’s nomination rules require at least one equity-seeking candidate in the race before a nominating convention can happen.

· All candidacies should be challenged. No candidate for a nomination – no incumbent MLA, no identified star candidate, not even the leader – will be protected from a contested nomination.

· We also need to address barriers to women as MLAs. The legislature must become a better working environment where sexism is not tolerated, where discourse is more respectful, where child care is available, and where work hours allow for a family life.

· Income security is a real issue for many potential candidates, especially single mothers. Job security provisions of The Elections Act should be extended to ban the practice of forcing nominated candidates to take unpaid leave from their job prior to an election being called.

Having diverse candidates is in keeping with the egalitarian philosophy of the NDP. It also translates into electoral success: a great combination. With concentrated effort we can go from talking 50% to showing it and winning with women as candidates in key ridings.