Quebecers elected twice as many women to city council and mayoral positions as they did 20 years ago in last week’s municipal elections, according to Geneviève Guilbault, minister of municipal affairs.
In a press release, Thursday, Guilbault said that the preliminary results showed a continued increase in women’s representation on municipal councils across La Belle Province.
“Participation is rising, women’s involvement continues to increase, and more and more citizens are choosing to get involved,” Guilbault said. “This is encouraging, but there is still work to be done, especially to mobilize young people.”
Guilbault also said she was pleased with the gradual move toward more balanced representation. Women now hold 37.9 per cent of council seats and 26 per cent of mayoral positions. They make up 39.8 per cent of all municipal council members, putting the parity target of 40 to 60 per cent within reach.
The preliminary results also show that 499 municipal councils now have a gender composition within the parity zone, while 69 councils are composed of more than 60 per cent women.
Among age groups, those aged 55 to 64 remain the most represented, while young people between 18-34 remained underrepresented, making up just 7.5 per cent of elected officials.
Guilbault said efforts were needed to encouraging higher youth participation in local politics and to show them the impact of municipal decisions on daily life.
The recent municipal elections also saw the province-wide voter turnout, rising to 41.3 per cent compared with 38.7 per cent in 2021.
Voter participation also varied by region, with Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, and Capitale-Nationale recording the highest rates, while Laval, Montreal, and Montérégie saw the lowest.
