British Columbia reaches a new benchmark for women's representation.

• Author: Reid, Linda

With 36 per cent of its MLAs now women, British Columbia currently has the highest proportion of women parliamentarians in Canada. Moreover, women hold key decision-making positions in the province as Lieutenant Governor, Premier and Speaker. While celebrating these milestones, in this article, B.C. Speaker Linda Reid warns against complacency and urges parliamentarians across Canada and the Commonwealth to continue implementing changes designed to facilitate a level playing field for women interested in political life. She provides several examples of innovations which have contributed to the province's success at bolstering the number of women representatives and improving the quality of their work life in politics.

The importance of ensuring equal representation of women in politics has been a recurrent theme in recent issues of the Canadian Parliamentary Review. Parliamentarians have reflected on their experiences in public life, and stressed the importance of women participating in political decision-making processes. Women care about different issues and offer important perspectives and experiences. Furthermore, research shows that gender balance in politics results in well-rounded policies and better organizational performance.

Notable advances in women's representation have been made in British Columbia in recent years. The May 2013 provincial general election saw a significant increase in the proportion of women elected over the previous parliament and the highest number of women ever elected to hold provincial office in B.C. Thirty of the 85 total seats were won by women - five more seats than in the previous general election. The by-election victory of Premier Christy Clark in July 2013 increased that number to 31.

With 36 per cent of its MLAs now women, BC currently has the highest proportion of women parliamentarians in Canada. The province is now well above the United Nations' minimum threshold of 30 per cent for women as a group to exert a meaningful influence in legislative assemblies. In addition, BC also now surpasses the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's threshold of 33 percent for women to become a critical mass and to have influence.

In addition to holding a significant percentage of seats, BC women hold notable positions in decision-making roles. For example, our Premier, seven of the 19 members of the executive council, and the Lieutenant Governor are women. In addition, several Opposition critics are female...