Women still underrepresented in Quebec municipal elections, despite push for parity
Posted October 7, 2025 5:32 pm.
Last Updated October 7, 2025 6:28 pm.
Despite ongoing efforts to close the gender gap, women remain significantly underrepresented in Quebec’s municipal elections, according to new data.
Only 36.1 per cent of candidates running for municipal office this year are women. That’s a small increase from 35.5 per cent in 2021 — the slowest growth since 2005.
There are 4,526 female candidates out of a total 12,541.
Slow progress and signs of decline
Esther Lapointe, director general of the Groupe Femmes, Politique et Démocratie (GFPD), says momentum has stalled when it comes to women running for municipal office — and in some cases, numbers are even dropping.
“We have only a very slight increase of 0.5 per cent,” Lapointe said, referring to the number of women councillor candidates. “Whereas in the last election in 2021, the increase was four per cent.”
She says it’s the same trend for mayoral races. “In 2021, there was a 4.5 per cent increase in mayors. Now, we’ve barely reached 25 per cent, so we’re very far from parity.”
Lapointe links the decline to growing hostility in the political climate — something she says is deterring women from running.
“The rise of the right wing, the violence and weapons used against elected officials in politics, such as women at all levels of government… well, it’s difficult,” she said.
At the municipal level, she adds, elected officials are especially vulnerable because they’re so accessible to the public.
“You meet them at the grocery store, you meet them in your daily life,” she said.
Lapointe also points to increasing responsibilities for local governments, many of which now handle issues like climate change and homelessness without adequate support.
“These are responsibilities that would normally fall to the higher level of government,” she said. “But currently, they fall to municipalities, and citizens expect them to solve the problems.”
The combination of public pressure and online harassment has taken a toll, she said, warning that “some of them may finally step back, if not flee.”
Toxic climate, low pay, and unrealistic expectations
Lapointe says the challenges for women outside major cities are even greater.
“We’re talking about the municipal level, outside of large cities where elected officials can still enjoy good salaries, the fact remains that as soon as you leave the big cities, I mean, in most small and medium-sized municipalities, salaries are insufficient. This forces elected officials to have another job, a job to make ends meet, because they can’t live on $12,000 or $20,000 a year.”
Social media has also amplified harassment and public scrutiny, Lapointe added.
“People can hide behind their screens. We don’t know who is writing and who is speaking on social media. Whereas in the past, you had to go through traditional media or address the person directly. Yes, it’s clear that the climate is much more toxic than before. And I think it’s a crisis in society that we need to address, because democracy is at risk.”
Still, she says the political path is worth taking. “If you want to bring about change in your community, this is the way to do it, it’s through politics that we can do it, because politics gives us the power to bring about those changes.”
Encouraging signs from candidates — and calls for action
Some candidates say they entered politics to be part of that change.
“I’ve always been engaged in local community initiatives and I’ve seen firsthand how the city decisions affect people’s daily lives,” said Gulnar Mousa, a candidate for mayor of Côte-Des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-De-Grâce with Futur Montréal. “From housing to public transport to public safety. Me running for office is, I thought if I wanted to see change, I have to be in it.”
Mousa believes many women still hesitate to run.
“I believe that there are still some barriers that make it harder for women to enter politics. Many women juggle family, professional responsibilities, and politics often demands a certain pace and environment that’s not always inclusive or supportive. There’s also the issue of confidence. Women are just as capable, but too often they are told to wait until they are ready. And so I believe we have to work on changing the culture and the structure that make politics maybe look out of reach and instead create a space that welcomes women’s leadership.”
Her advice? “Your voice matters more than you think. And I believe politics needs women’s perspectives, it needs our ability to listen, our lived experiences, our collaborative way in leading. So it doesn’t matter if you don’t have all the answers, all what matters is your commitment to your community and your willingness to take the first step. And I really believe when women lead, the conversation changes, so does the future.”
Elise Tanguay, the Projet Montréal candidate for city councillor in Saint-Paul—Émard—Saint-Henri-Ouest, is urging women not to hesitate to enter the political sphere.
“The barriers to women’s participation in politics are still evident today,” Tanguay told CityNews in a statement. “Balancing family and work, among other things, remains a major challenge because many household tasks fall to mothers. Being a mother is also part of what motivates me to go into politics. I want to offer my children a greener, more inclusive city.
“To all women who are entering politics or thinking about it, I encourage you to be confident and to stop second-guessing yourselves.”
A message from a party leader: just go for it
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, candidate for mayor and leader of Ensemble Montréal, says there’s no perfect moment, and no perfect candidate.
“We think a lot, and we want to make sure that we have all the answers, but don’t. I think we need more women in politics. I think we need more women in municipal politics. I think it would be a more efficient administration.”
She also acknowledged the pressures of public life.
“I think women find it difficult because as you can tell, it’s not an easy arena to be in because you’re very publicly scrutinized. And I think women, we want to be perfect, and we want to address things in a very perfect way. And I think it is a difficult arena. And I think (that’s) one of the reasons of a lot of women not wanting to participate.
“But we have a lot of women in our party. We have one more woman than men as the candidates.”
Still, Martinez Ferrada remains hopeful: “I’m very hopeful in terms of what women can do in this, in politics, especially in municipal politics, and I hope more women will join next time around.”
