Gender equity

Trudeau had a wealth of talent to choose from

Justin Trudeau promised a smaller cabinet based on gender equality, ethnic diversity and regional representation, so it is no surprise that is exactly what he delivered. All the same, it was inspiring to see his 15-man, 15-woman cabinet sworn in Wednesday in all its diverse glory. Perhaps most notably, for the first time in Canada, there is an even gender split in cabinet.

Trudeau had a wealth of talent to choose from, so achieving that long-overdue goal was not a stretch. While pure competence is never the only factor when putting together a cabinet – or a board or a company, for that matter (and is subjective, at any rate) – one cannot credibly argue he sacrificed competence in favour of gender equality.

So let’s be clear: this is not about choosing a less competent woman over a more competent man because of her gender. It is about choosing an equally competent woman because it makes sense for the country – because having a cabinet divided equally along gender lines makes a more representative and more qualified cabinet. Women make up half the population. They often care about different issues and bring different perspectives. Their voices need to be heard equally.

The notion they do not deserve to be there in equal measure is, quite frankly, offensive. And it sounds defensive coming from men who may feel they were overlooked for what they assumed, based on history, was their rightful seat at the table.

If lack of experience is an issue, perhaps this is because women have not been given opportunities due to an inherent bias toward men. Women need to be given opportunities so they can prove they have the ability to make a positive and necessary difference.

The expectation, of course, is that Trudeau’s new female ministers will deliver strong results on their portfolios. But there is also hope they will bring more to Parliament, by having an influence on the way politicians do business. Much has been written about the fact women tend to have a more participative and collaborative style than men. Goodness knows our House of Commons could stand more collaboration and less self-interest. By changing the way politicians work together, by bringing issues important to women to the fore, and by making the House a more welcoming environment for women generally, it will encourage even more women to enter politics at all levels.

There is sure to be controversy over these appointments, just as there was when Trudeau announced his goal of gender equity. This is not about us vs. them. Both men and women have a valuable – and equally important – role to play together. We hope people will set aside their negative opinions and focus on the work at hand. This cabinet is facing huge expectations and is sure to be scrutinized by those determined to see it fail. We hope the new female cabinet ministers will be welcomed and given every chance of success. We would expect no less for their male colleagues. We would also expect they will be judged no more and no less harshly.