More women are participating in the upcoming Yukon election compared to the previous two election cycles. Out of the 61 candidates in the election, 27 are women, making up over 44 percent of the total candidates. The Yukon Party has ten female candidates, the NDP has nine, and the Liberals have eight.
After the nomination period closed recently, each party’s candidate roster is now finalized. The Yukon Party and NDP have candidates in all 21 electoral districts, while the Liberals have candidates in 18 districts for the November 3rd election, with one Independent candidate in the mix.
This year sees a higher number of women candidates compared to the elections in 2016 and 2021. In 2016, there were 63 candidates vying for seats in 19 ridings, with 26 of them being women. Lindsay Brumwell, the executive director of Equal Voice, a non-profit organization striving to enhance gender representation in Canadian politics, expressed optimism about the increased female participation in Yukon politics.
Brumwell noted that historically, the proportion of female candidates and elected officials in federal politics has been around 30 percent. She highlighted that Yukon is ahead of other provinces and territories in terms of female representation in the current election.
Despite the progress, Brumwell emphasized that women still encounter barriers in politics, including self-doubt about their qualifications. She mentioned that women often need repeated encouragement to run for office and are more likely to feel confident when urged by someone they respect within their personal or community networks.
Among the 14 First Nations candidates in this election, nine are women, representing constituencies from Southern Lakes to Vuntut Gwitchin. Additionally, three Filipina candidates are competing for seats in Whitehorse, while there are no Black candidates fielded by any party.
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon highlighted the intentional diversity in his party’s candidate selection process, emphasizing the inclusion of individuals from varied backgrounds across the territory. Cynthia James, a member of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, is running for the Liberals in the Southern Lakes district, alongside two other Yukon First Nations women from the same party.
NDP incumbent Lane Tredger in Whitehorse Centre underscored their party’s commitment to inclusivity, aiming to appeal to a broad spectrum of voters. Tredger, the first openly non-binary MLA in Yukon’s history, stressed the importance of diverse leadership to effectively represent the territory’s population from different walks of life.
