Author: Informed Perspectives

Informed Perspectives Shares New Data on Canada Falling to 71st Globally in Women’s Political Representation, Despite Near-Universal Support for Parity

Posted on by Informed Perspectives


(Ottawa) – September 22nd, 2025 –Informed Perspectives reveals that Canada’s status as a global champion of gender equality is under serious threat.

In just 25 years, the country has plummeted from 28th to 71st place in world rankings for women’s representation. This significant decline highlights the inadequacy of our current approach to achieving parity in Canadian politics. This backslide has occurred despite overwhelming support for change. New polling from Abacus Data reveals that gender parity is a core belief for most Canadians, with 86% saying it’s important to have equal representation of men and women in politics at all levels of government.


Democracy Deficit “Equal representation is fundamentally about democracy and trust,” said Shari Graydon, Catalyst at Informed Perspectives. “Canadians overwhelmingly expect that women should hold the balance of power in politics at all levels, and Canada cannot claim to be a global leader on equality while men dominate at 70% in our highest decision-making body.”

The consequences extend far beyond representation numbers. A significant majority of Canadians understand that gender parity delivers tangible benefits to Canadian democracy, with roughly four in five people saying that ensuring a balance of power among elected representatives leads to:

  • Improved policy outcomes that accurately reflect the diverse realities of the entire
    population
  • Stronger political discourse reflecting increased civility and respect
  • More effective governance through increased productivity

Global Representation Standard
While Canada’s ranking has continued to slip, countries around the world have explicitly acted to address equality. More than 100 nations have implemented concrete steps to increase gender parity by setting minimum representation targets and requiring political parties to meet them. These countries recognize that meaningful representation requires decisive action, not wishful thinking. They also understand that such gains feed increased trust in electoral outcomes.

Strategies Canada Must Adopt
Inclusive candidate recruitment and nomination processes can make a big difference in ensuring that women and gender-diverse people have a seat at the decision-making table.

Countries that have been successful in ensuring meaningful representation have implemented different strategies, including electoral reform, a parity law, constitutional reform and mandatory quotas. “Canada has an opportunity to lead the world by strengthening women’s political representation. By working together across all levels of governments, institutions, and communities we can ensure women and gender diverse people are equal partners in shaping Canada’s future,” said Chi Nguyen, Member of Parliament for Spadina–Harbourfront.

“Government must lead by example if we want true gender parity in Canada. When public institutions reflect the diversity of our country, they set a powerful standard for businesses to follow – and unlock the full economic potential of a workforce where everyone can contribute and thrive,” said Julie Savard-Shaw, Executive Director, The Prosperity Project.


The choice facing Canada’s political leadership is clear: implement proven strategies that have been successful internationally or watch Canada’s global standing continue to drop.

To learn more about Informed Perspectives: visit our advocacy page

Data sources: Women in National Parliaments, IPU: Parline Global Data

Media Contact:
Annette Goerner
Managing Director, Public Relations
spark*advocacy
annette@sparkadvocacy.ca
613-818-6941

What’s in a name change? Why we’re evolving to Informed Perspectives 

Posted on by Informed Perspectives

For 15 years, we’ve been working to enhance and transform who shapes Canada’s public discourse. In this next chapter of our journey, Informed Opinions is becoming Informed Perspectives.

Why the change?

When Shari Graydon launched Informed Opinions in 2010 as a project of MediaWatch, the goal was clear: equip women with relevant skills and incentives to contribute their insights and ideas  to public conversations through news media, where they remained dramatically underrepresented. We began by training experts to write compelling commentary and say “yes” to media interviews.

Since then, our mission has expanded significantly. We’ve built Canada’s first database of diverse expert sources, created the Gender Gap Tracker with Simon Fraser University, tackled online hate with research and resources, and advocated for systemic change across media and politics.

Our new name — Informed Perspectives/Perspectives plurielles — better reflects this evolution and our vision for the future, and more clearly establishes our national and bilingual identity. 

  • Beyond opinions to perspectives: We recognize that expertise and influence come in many forms. Women and gender-diverse people contribute valuable perspectives shaped by both professional knowledge and lived experience.
  • National reach in both official languages: We’re committed to serving communities across Canada, including rural, remote and Francophone regions.
  • Adapting to a changing landscape: The media and political environments have transformed dramatically since 2010. Our work now spans traditional and digital media, to address both longstanding barriers and emerging challenges.
  • Greater inclusivity: Our programs explicitly embrace intersectionality, recognizing the complex ways identity shapes experience and the unique barriers faced by many communities.

What’s changing?

Our Look

You’ll notice a fresh visual identity that reflects our bold advocacy orientation and inclusive approach. Our new logo symbolizes our commitment to amplifying diverse voices, with a modern design that builds on our legacy while looking toward the future.

The road ahead

Despite 16 years of progress, women’s voices still make up less than 30% of those quoted in Canadian media — reflecting only a 7% increase in the past quarter century. Gender-diverse voices and those with intersectional identities remain even more marginalized.

As Informed Perspectives, we’re setting ambitious goals:

  • Increase underrepresented voices in our database to mirror Canada’s demographic diversity
  • Expand programming to underserved geographic and cultural communities
  • Reinforce our national presence with bilingual resources and services
  • Forge strategic partnerships with leaders in media, academia and business
  • Combat online harassment that silences too many
  • Continue to advocate for equal representation in media and politics 

Join us on this journey

Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or are just discovering our work, there’s a place for you in this next chapter:

  • Experts: Update your database profile and explore our enhanced training opportunities
  • Journalists: Access our upgraded expert database and join the #DiversifyYourSources movement
  • Partners: Collaborate with us on initiatives that advance gender equity in public discourse
  • Supporters: Help amplify diverse voices through your donation, advocacy, or engagement

Together, we’re building a Canada where diverse voices shape every important decision. Because when everyone’s perspective matters, we all benefit.