The High Price of Excluding Women from Leadership

When the Liberal Party of Quebec launched its leadership campaign earlier this year, I was hopeful that a woman would put her name in the hat. The recent Canadian Federal leadership campaign featured an even split of men and women on the ballot, including former Minister Karina Gould. I was encouraged that despite all the criticism that came her way (the usual: she’s too young, too progressive and lacks experience), she ran, in my view, an inspiring campaign. She was relatable in both English and French (a rare feat), energetic and optimistic. She didn’t spew the usual political jargon and empty one-liners. In today’s mostly uninspiring political landscape, she was a breath of fresh air. Seeing a young woman’s drive with views and aspirations similar to my own was not something I had witnessed before, even in our progressive country.

But Gould was the underdog and it showed in the final tally as her support barely registered against front runner and the man who would eventually become PM, Mark Carney. Despite the odds being stacked against her, Gould’s refreshing approach cut through the noise. She didn’t win but I’m convinced she inspired women across the country like myself.

But my optimism quickly ran short….

Despite the 50/50 split during the leadership race, not a single woman campaigned as party leader in the actual federal election. All leaders from the five different parties were men. For more on this, I invite you to read the Policy Opinions piece by Sophie Mathieu.

As the provincial race unfolded, my optimism not only ran short, it tanked. All five potential candidates were…you guessed it, men.

The race didn’t draw much attention - amidst the tariff rollercoaster with our southern neighbor, the 51st U.S. state non-sense, and forest fires raging in parts of the country, it’s no wonder. But my annoyance only grew into anger as I didn’t see, hear or find any news coverage reporting on the absence of women in the race. It seemed like it was a non-issue. Was I the only one enraged by the fact that the Quebec Liberal Party didn’t encourage at least one woman to step forward?

Women continue to be underrepresented in Canadian leadership at every level. In the House of Commons, women currently hold a little less than one third of seats in Parliament (IPU Parline). The gap has slowly decreased over time, but it still falls far short of parity and ranks Canada as #71st in the world when it comes to representation. Only 6 countries achieve actual parity or more in government (check out this link for the full list). Interesting to note though, in the “Upper Chamber” category, in Canada this means the Senate, representation is slightly higher than parity, at almost 55%. Some good news. 

At the provincial level, we see a similar portrait. Right now, British Columbia stands out as the only province or territory with a female-majority legislature, with women making up 53% of its seats. Quebec isn’t far behind, with women holding 46% of the seats in the National Assembly. 

Simply put, our country and provinces, along with most places across the globe, do not reflect the very population they serve and represent. Side note - I’m well aware that I’m focusing on women. I’m not even getting into the full picture of other forms of diversity.

Corporate Canada isn’t much different. Women hold just over 20% of board seats and about 30% of senior management roles. 

The gap extends in academia as well. While women make up the majority of students and many faculty positions, they still remain underrepresented in university leadership. Only 27% of the top 200 universities in the world are led by women. More good news: this number is up 2% in just one year.

Let’s be clear. Championing women in leadership isn’t about checking a diversity box, chasing optics or that magic 50/50 parity ranking. While equal opportunity, equity, and representation are absolutely critical, they only tell part of the story. Women want to be represented. Young women need to see that their ambitions and dreams are possible. Girls deserve strong role models. The world needs diverse points of views and innovative solutions, now more than ever.  

Empowering women to lead in politics, in business, in education, in healthcare should be a priority. In meeting rooms where big decisions are made, women’s perspectives are still lacking, overlooked or dismissed. And that absence has real consequences. 

As Sophie Mathieu wrote in her piece,

Decisions on policies, strategies, and solutions, end up narrower, less effective, and sometimes out of touch with the people they’re meant to serve. Workplace rules, parental leave, healthcare plans, health research, public services…they all risk overlooking the needs of half the population. Without women’s voices shaping the conversation, leadership becomes insular, reactive, and disconnected from the communities it’s meant to impact.

Jean Augustine was the first Black woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons in 1993. She brought forward issues that might have otherwise gone unnoticed, like establishing Black History Month. More recently, countries led by women during the pandemic had “systematically and significantly better” outcomes, with more proactive and coordinated policy responses (learn more here: The Guardian). New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received widespread praise for her empathetic and decisive leadership during the crisis.

In business, multiple studies have shown that companies with more women in leadership are more profitable and innovative because they better understand the needs of their customers. In its 2019 report entitled Diversity wins: How inclusion matters, McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to be significantly profitable than those in the bottom quartile. Also a fact: the relationship between diversity on executive teams and the likelihood of financial outperformance has strengthened over time.

And it’s not just about profit margins - it’s also a matter of innovation. A study from the University of British Columbia covering over 12,000 companies across 45 countries showed that companies with women on their boards filed for more patents, and not just any patents, but ones that broke new ground. 

And the list goes on…

It’s easy math. When women are at the table, it’s good for everyone. And when women aren’t part of the equation, everyone loses.

The path forward isn’t about excluding men or simply making room for women at the same old tables. It’s about reimagining leadership altogether. It’s about building better tables. It’s about crafting environments where women feel encouraged to step forward, where diverse voices matter, and where decisions reflect the reality of the world we live in.

If you’re a leader, a manager, or just someone with influence in your circle, commit to asking: whose voices are missing? Because leaving women out leaves us all behind.

Are you passionate about championing women's leadership? Ready to spark change in your team or organization, or want to dive deeper into the evidence? I’d love to connect!