We are women engaging Canadian women from across Canada in conversations that matter. We are here to listen and learn – and to question the words and actions of those we trust with our votes. We know Canada is full of possibilities, and believe that by sharing our questions and concerns, and having better conversations, we can help define the Canada we all want.
Based in Calgary, we have our roots in the energy sector, and have quickly expanded. We are gathering people and perspectives from all regions and sectors and offering them a place at the table.
This initiative started a few months ago when a group of women from Calgary started talking about the issues that were bothering us as we headed into a federal election. Around the table, we realized we came from many parts of Canada so we had a variety of issues we were concerned about but we all shared a concern about the impact that the last four year's has had on the Canadian energy sector, the economy, the environment, our country's social programs, and how Canada is viewed by the world.
The more we talked, the more we started wondering about what are other women across the country were thinking and feeling right now.
We wondered if it was possible for women with different daily lives to come together and find common ground on the big national issues. Could we play a role in making that happen? What started as an idea only a few months ago is now a reality – and is gaining the interest of tens of thousands of Canadian women.
Dr. Lucy Miller, our spokesperson said the following at our launch last in early September, "I've worked for forty-five years as an educator and social sector leader. I have never been involved in politics until now. But this election has become too important to sit on the sidelines. I've lived all over Canada, spending many years in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Alberta. I'm not sure I've ever seen the country more divided, angry, and rudderless. There's such a lack of understanding about the big issues and how they're connected.
There's lots of reasons for this. If we look at social media, most people would never say to someone's face what gets said online.
And then there's the media; you have to look for the most sensational stories to drive your readership.
Politicians are also part of the problem. It seems they have to divide rather than unite to win an election. Misinformation, inventing emergencies and creating panic shifts the focus to the extremes.
When politics are divisive, the loud and extreme voices on the margins get heard. And the majority in the middle often get silenced. Big picture thinking is lost in all the noise. We're seeing that there are many women who are silenced and bow out of the conversation because of all of this noise."
So what started as a conversation around our concerns about big issues has morphed into an initiative that's trying to inform, connect, and mobilize Canadian women voters.
We've created a space to talk politics, without all the politics. Our platform is our online community where women can talk about issues that matter, without the ranting. In the process, we hope we can help bring some clarity to the issues, some unity to the country, and a clearer direction for our future.
Aspirationally, we envision millions of conversations every day around the question of the day so that when people go to the polls they feel informed and empowered. The online platform is only a tool to launch conversations. We hope people will carry that over person to person, on the phone, through emails, on Facebook, with friends and with strangers.
Much of our approach on this project was guided by a research study we conducted by Leger Research early on in our conversations. Leger Research conducted the study for us and today, we'd like to share the results of the study. The results really confirmed the need for this type of initiative. As you would have read, many Canadians don't see their voices reflected in political conversations. We wanted to do something about that.
Since we were going to be discussing political issues and many of us have strong views on the issues, we registered with Elections Canada as a registered third party advertiser. Our initial funds were provided by members of the group and local companies. All of this information is available on the Elections Canada website.
As you would have seen in our Instagram feed, we're looking to hear from women from across the country, and give them a platform to voice their concerns. We are posting a question a day to help ignite conversations and discuss political issues "without the politics."
The campaign will include vignettes from policy experts, op-ed columns from national experts, and links to useful data that will help increase women's understanding of the big issues heading into the election. Through this initiative, women from all parts of Canada can talk politics in a way that is informative, non-confrontational, and even fun. In the process, we can help women make voting decisions that align with their values and find common ground that bridges the political divide.
We believe that by encouraging more women and men to engage in conversations that matter, we can overcome the divisions in Canadian politics and promote a more balanced policy approach to important issues.
Political conversations need not be us versus them, east versus west, and party against party. Voters deserve better. Majorities of Canadians want strong social programs AND a strong economy. They want governments to address climate change AND grow the oil and gas sector. They want to be both respected on the world stage and able to compete for talent and capital.
These are not either/or but both/and conversations. As third-party advertisers in this election, we're not interested in telling people how to vote. But we are asking them to get really clear about what they care about what they value and who they trust, and vote for that.
We would love to have you join our conversation, and give you a space to share your thoughts and opinions. The more voices the better!
