In Canada, only 30% of Members of Parliament are women, and only 16% belong to a racial minority group, well below their 26% representation in the overall Canadian population. On the other hand, white men are over-represented in political leadership, and that’s not only the case in Canada, but in many other countries as well. People may – consciously or subconsciously – think that that’s because women, racialized folks, and members of other underrepresented groups just don’t make good political leaders. But the reality is that there are a lot of factors contributing to the political underrepresentation we see today. In this episode, we’re going to be busting the myth that women and members of other underrepresented groups just aren’t suited to political leadership.

GATE’s Busted podcast is made possible by generous support by BMO.

Featured Guests:

Dr. Kristen Duke, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Dr. Mirya Holman, Associate Professor, Hobby School for Public Affairs, University of Houston

Dr. Erin Tolley, Canada Research Chair in Gender, Race, and Inclusive Politics and Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Carleton University

Produced by: Carmina Ravanera and Dr. Sonia Kang

Edited by: Ian Gormely