House of Commons Yet to Achieve Equal Representation
The House of Commons still isn't close to achieving gender parity, with analysis revealing that only 30% of the newly elected MPs are women.
A total of 104 women were elected, one more than in the previous elections held in 2021. Nevertheless, this representation does not reflect the Canadian population, as they represent only 30% of Parliament members, 10 points short of the parity range between 40% and 60%.
According to Esther Lapointe, director general of Women, Politics and Democracy, the increase in female MPs elect is surprising. She attributes this discrepancy to the decline in the number of candidates, which dropped by six percentage points from 2021 to 2025. "The only good news is that these elected MPs ran in secure ridings where they would almost certainly win," she analyzes.
However, true equality is 50%, Lapointe argues. By calculating the growth rate of the proportion of women in Ottawa over the last 10 years, she found that achieving 50% representation at the current pace would take at least 80 years.
Currently, Canada ranks 70th in the world in terms of the ratio of women elected to Parliament, according to Inter-Parliamentary Union data.
Political Parties Breakdown
The Liberal Party of Canada, which won the majority of seats, was able to elect 67 women, or 39.6% of the Liberal MPs for the 45th legislature. The Conservative Party of Canada's elected members account for only 18.2% of the caucus, with 26 MPs. The Bloc Québécois, on the other hand, will be represented by 6 women, or about 26% of the party's MPs.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Green Party are the only parties where females outnumber males.
According to Lapointe, this gender disparity can be attributed to the number of female candidates each party nominates. "The NDP has, in its charter, the obligation to ensure gender parity among nominees. They always excel in this regard. Why, if a party manages parity, wouldn't others?"
Lapointe advocates for the enactment of legislation mandating gender parity among nominees in elections to give women a fair chance in the election process. She cites countries like Mexico and France as examples. "I wonder why we're still waiting to adopt a law to compel all parties to present female candidates. We know they're capable of doing it."
Many political parties saw a decline in the number of their candidates between 2021 and 2025. According to Lapointe, the current social and political context could explain this issue. In her view, the rushed elections following Justin Trudeau's resignation and the threat of tariffs from Donald Trump disrupted parties' priorities and visions for female representation. "We're still in a crisis period."
Does Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet stand a chance at achieving gender balance? "With almost 40% of women elected in the Liberal Party, there's no reason why the cabinet shouldn't strive for balance," estimates Lapointe. Nonetheless, the cabinet that Carney swore in last March had 13 men and 11 women. "He can't afford to do that."
It's worth noting that Carney also abolished the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality from his cabinet.
In Quebec
Out of the 78 Quebec deputies, 26 are women, representing a third. This is one less than in 2021 and 2019. Quebec ranks third among the provinces with the highest proportion of elected women's representation; Ontario leads with 37.7%, followed by Nova Scotia with 36.4%.
Of the 26 Quebec women deputies, 19 will sit under the Liberal Party's banner. One woman was also elected within the Conservative Party in the Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Lévis riding.
- The House of Commons still needs to achieve a 40% to 60% parity of women representatives, as 30% of the newly elected MPs are women, according to the analysis.
- Out of the 78 Quebec deputies, 26 are women, but this is one less than in 2021 and 2019, making Quebec third among the provinces with the highest proportion of elected women.
- Esther Lapointe, director general of Women, Politics, and Democracy, attributes the rise in female MPs elect to a decline in the number of candidates, which dropped by six percentage points from 2021 to 2025.
- To achieve 50% representation of women in Ottawa at the current pace, it would take at least 80 years, according to Lapointe's calculation of the growth rate of the proportion of women in Parliament over the last 10 years.
