A woman's perspective on surviving and succeeding in politics.

• Author: Thompson, Susan

The challenge of running for elected office is similar whether one is vying for federal, provincial or municipal office. Female candidates face special and additional challenges. In this article a former Mayor of Winnipeg offers some advice for women contemplating a career in politics.

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I start from the premise that our country needs more women in politics. Our society needs more women in leadership positions. Many years ago I attended a conference with Justice Rosalie Abella, an incredibly dynamic speaker. She said "I cannot believe that the women of Canada are the majority of the population and we still act like a minority. We must bring gender balance to our governments." That was in the mid-80s and I already knew that I would run for mayor of Winnipeg, I just did not know when. She was right; we needed more women in government.

Women, I believe, offer balance, a more caring society, a more cohesive team approach. I think women understand society's needs and embrace life's realities more pragmatically. I do not believe women go into politics for power. They go into politics to make things better, to make a difference, to improve things, to plan the future and to leave legacies for our children. When we express our views, we need to be respected for our views, listened to, and our ideas need to be embraced. Our perspective is critical. So how do we get there, and how do we win?

You cannot enter politics or be a successful candidate if you are not rock solid with your reasons for entering. You have to know who you are, why you are running and what you want to achieve. Do not go into politics unless you have thought these questions through and are very comfortable with your answers.

One of the very first questions a reporter will ask you is, why are you running? The first question people will ask is why should I support you? The first words that come out of your mouth must be short and succinct and straight from the heart. So when a reporter first asked why I was running, I replied: "It is my destiny." You should have seen the expression on the faces of my advisors. "What did you say? No, that's not the answer." It was a moment in time and it was the truth.

I went into political life because it was my calling. It came to me and I knew I was meant to be mayor. I am sure that everyone at some point in time has a feeling about what he or she is meant to do. It does not matter how far-fetched this is. Here I was the owner of a cowboy/saddlery store, and in the middle of the night in 1982 I heard a voice that said "You're meant to be the mayor of Winnipeg." It was one of the most phenomenal experiences of my life, but, I did not doubt it.

I was raised an entrepreneur. My family owned a small saddlery store. Nowhere on my life's screen was it obvious that I would be a politician. Yet I knew I had to listen to what had come to me. We often hear about men who knew from an early age that they would be Prime Minister one day. Not so for women. But I encourage women if they have that feeling or that experience to never dismiss it.

Taking the Plunge

I was raised in St. James, Manitoba and came from quite a middle class family. My parents instilled in me the idea that you could do anything you set your mind to. I have never been afraid to fail. To me, "failure" is simply a lesson learned. It just took hard work and perseverance, "perseverance" being the operative word, and please do not ever forget that word. It is the key to political success. Nobody could ever have convinced me that it...