“We know that if we want to achieve true gender parity, where women are involved in the decisions that affect their lives, there is still much to be done. I am happy that this strategy is well placed to make progress in crucial areas that impact people on a daily basis. The collaborative approach and the actions laid out for future work will improve women’s equity in Vancouver."

Twenty-two years ago, the Canadian government made a commitment — every piece of legislation, and all new policies and programs, would be treated to what is called a “gender-based analysis.” This bureaucratic procedure, while arcane, was meant to do something momentous: bring the experience of women to the nerve-centre of political decision-making. A government that does gender-based analyses is a government with gender equality on the brain.

Political scientist Linda Trimble reviewed 2,500 newspaper articles spanning a 37-year period. She found that women who ran for leadership of major Canadian political parties faced scrutiny based on physical appearance or traditional gender roles that was disproportionate in relation to their male opponents.

“Alison Gordon was a courageous pioneer who broke down barriers for female sports reporters across North America,” Scott Crawford, the Hall’s director of operations, said in a press release. “On top of her bravery, she was also one of the most talented writers ever to work the Toronto Blue Jays beat."

“Our first reflex was to say that (free trade agreements) are gender-neutral,” said the document. “But are the effects gender-neutral? We began to realize that not all are.” Only one in five exporting firms is led by a female entrepreneur, the document points out, along with research from the World Bank that showed a vast number of countries do not give women the same legal rights as they do men when it comes to doing business.

Looking at how many women are working is important because not too long ago, few were able to work outside the home at all. Though women were called to the factory floors during World Wars I and II, they mostly kept out of the labor force. And those who did work were relegated to such traditionally “female jobs” as teacher, nurse or secretary.

“It’s partly cultural and partly the way the rules and regulations and social policy work in Canada," she said. "The social net is a little bit tighter in Canada. Guns laws are very different, community cohesion is stronger with less individualism. “We’ve seen that before when we do comparisons on murder rates and those kinds of things.”

Making sure the workforce is fair and rewarding for women benefits everyone. Reducing gender inequality could boost economic growth by about 6% for advanced economies in the coming decades, according to the bank’s economists. Countries that have higher labor force participation for women tend to have a more robust employment market for men as well.

The Canadian Senate approved legislation last week to amend a 141-year-old law that has prevented indigenous women and their descendants from obtaining the same rights allotted to indigenous men, including some tax breaks, the ability to vote for indigenous governments, access to land on reserves and expanded health care coverage.

"We have made history," she tweeted. "Thank you, Montreal!" Plante will be the first female mayor elected in Montreal in the city's 375-year history, and Montreal will be the largest North American city with a female mayor, according to CTV News.

The foreign affairs minister denied that such an agenda was about political correctness or “virtue signaling.” Rather, she said that putting such a focus on foreign issues has practical impacts that bring changes on the ground. “It matters because where women, in all their diversity, are included in our collective security, everyone is safer,” she said.

"Racialized women have always been at the forefront of civil rights movements," said Margaret Robinson, Dalhousie University assistant professor of sociology and social anthropology. "What's changed is the broader society's ability to recognize them for their leadership and work."