Canadian Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CCOM)

For over 25 years, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has held post-election seminars for national and sub-national parliaments. The seminars provide parliamentarians with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of their roles and responsibilities including those relating to parliamentary practices, procedures, legislation, scrutiny, oversight, and representation. They also help parliamentarians gain a better understanding of the CPA and how to leverage its vast network and resources.

From December 15 to 17 2021, the CPA Headquarters Secretariat hosted a virtual post-election seminar for newly elected and returning members of the Parliament of the Bahamas. The Honourable Marilou McPhedran, Senator, was invited to provide remarks during a workshop on Women in Parliament held on December 16, 2021. The workshop provided the opportunity for Parliamentarians to discuss women’s representation and share experiences about working in Parliament.

In her presentation, Senator McPhedran discussed women’s representation in Canada’s Parliament, as well as ways to foster a gender-sensitive workplace. During her remarks, Senator McPhedran explained that by introducing family-friendly measures, parliaments can help overcome barriers faced by female elected officials and make workplaces more gender sensitive. During the questions and comments portion of the workshop, Senator McPhedran highlighted Canadian initiatives related to women’s participation in politics including Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to supporting women in politics, and its Daughters of the Vote Program.

On November 22, 2021, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Headquarters Secretariat hosted a roundtable discussion for members of the National Assembly of Belize through its Technical Assistance Program. The objective of the roundtable, entitled Gender Equality Policy, was to engage participants in a discussion on how to build and maintain a gender sensitive parliament to encourage greater representation of women in parliamentary decision-making. As a member of the Canadian Branch of the CPA, the Honourable Marilou McPhedran, Senator, led the roundtable discussion.

Senator McPhedran’s presentation focused on Canada’s approach to Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+). She started by defining GBA+ and its importance within the context of policy making. Senator McPhedran then presented various opportunities for parliamentarians to advance GBA+ and gender-sensitive initiatives, including its application to legislation, budgeting, committee work and to the parliamentary environment more generally. Senator McPhedran also underscored some of the challenges faced by parliamentarians and policy makers when trying to apply GBA+, including those pertaining to the availability of data and the resources required to conduct parliamentary studies that adequately represent the groups effected by proposed legislation.