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Women Candidates
Canadian Federal Elections, 1921-2008

2008 - Women as % of 308 MPs Elected: 22.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 445 69 15.5 %
Liberal 113 19 16.8 %
New Democratic Party 104 12 11.5 %
Green Party of Canada 90 0 0 %
Conservative Party of Canada 63 23 36.5 %
Marxist-Leninist Party 21 0 0 %
Bloc Québécois 20 15 75.0 %
Independent 8 0 0 %
Christian Heritage Party of Canada 6 0 0 %
Communist Party of Canada 6 0 0 %
Libertarian Party of Canada 5 0 0 %
Animal Alliance Environment Voters  3 0 0 %
First Peoples National Party 2 0 0 %
neorhino.ca 1 0 0 %
Western Block Party 1 0 0 %
Work Less Party 1 0 0 %

 
2006 - Women as % of 308 MPs Elected: 20.8% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 380 64 16.8 %
New Democratic 108 12 11.1 %
Liberal 79 21 26.6 %
Green 72 0 0 %
Conservative 38 14 36.8 %
Marxist-Leninist 24 0 0 %
Bloc Québécois 23 17 73.9 %
Canadian Action 8 0 0 %
Christian Heritage 8 0 0 %
Communist 7 0 0 %
Independent 7 0 0 %
Animal Alliance Environment Voters 1 0 0 %
Libertarian 1 0 0 %
Marijuana 1 0 0 %
No Affiliation 1 0 0 %
Progressive Canadian 1 0 0 %
Western Block 1 0 0 %

 
2004 - Women as % of 308 MPs Elected: 21.1% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 391 65 16.62 %
New Democratic 96 5 5.20 %
Green  of Canada 78 0 0 %
Liberal 75 34 60 %
Conservative 36 12 33.33 %
Marxist-Leninist 28 0 0 %
Bloc Québécois 18 14 77.77 %
Communist  of Canada 11 0 0 %
Marijuana 9 0 0 %
Independent 7 0 0 %
Libertarian 2 0 0 %
No affiliation 2 0 0 %
Progressive Canadian 2 0 0 %

 
       
2000 - Women as % of 301 MPs Elected: 20.6% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 373 62 16.62 %
New Democratic 88 5 5.68 %
Liberal 65 39 60 %
Progressive Conservative 39 1 2.56 %
Canadian Alliance 32 7 21.87 %
Marxist-Leninist 30 0 0 %
Natural Law  of Canada 25 0 0 %
Green  of Canada 21 0 0 %
Bloc Québécois 18 10 55.55 %
Canadian Action 17 0 0 %
Marijuana 12 0 0 %
No affiliation 11 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 10 0 0 %
Independent 5 0 0 %

 
1997 - Women as % of 301 MPs Elected: 20.6% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 408 62 15.19 %
New Democratic 107 8 7.47 %
Liberal 84 37 44.04 %
Progressive Conservative 56 2 3.57 %
Natural Law  of Canada 38 0 0 %
Marxist-Leninist 28 0 0 %
Green  of Canada 27 0 0 %
Reform  of Canada 23 4 17.39 %
Bloc Québécois 16 11 68.75 %
Canadian Action 13 0 0 %
Christian Heritage  of Canada 6 0 0 %
Independent 5 0 0 %
No affiliation 5 0 0 %

 
1993 - Women as % of 295 MPs Elected: 18.0% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 476 53 11.13 %
New Democratic 113 1 0.88 %
Progressive Conservative 67 1 1.49 %
Liberal 64 36 56.25 %
Natural Law  of Canada 57 0 0 %
National  of Canada 35 0 0 %
Abolitionist  of Canada 24 0 0 %
Reform  of Canada 23 7 30.43 %
No affiliation 23 0 0 %
Marxist-Leninist 17 0 0 %
Green  of Canada 16 0 0 %
 for the Commonwealth of Canada 11 0 0 %
Bloc Québécois 10 8 80 %
Canada 5 0 0 %
Christian Heritage  of Canada 5 0 0 %
Libertarian  of Canada 5 0 0 %
Independent 1 0 0 %

 
1988 - Women as % of 295 MPs Elected: 13.2% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 302 39 12.91 %
New Democratic 84 5 5.95 %
Liberal 53 13 24.52 %
Progressive Conservative 37 21 56.75 %
No affiliation 32 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 20 0 0 %
Green  of Canada 15 0 0 %
Parti Rhinocéros 14 0 0 %
Libertarian  of Canada 13 0 0 %
 for the Commonwealth of Canada 11 0 0 %
Reform  of Canada 8 0 0 %
Christian Heritage  of Canada 6 0 0 %
Confederation of Regions Western 4 0 0 %
Independent 4 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 1 0 0 %

 
1984 - Women as % of 282 MPs Elected: 9.6% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 214 27 12.61 %
New Democratic 64 3 4.68 %
Liberal 44 5 11.36 %
Progressive Conservative 23 19 82.60 %
Communist  of Canada 14 0 0 %
Parti Rhinocéros 13 0 0 %
Green  of Canada 11 0 0 %
Parti Nationaliste du Québec 11 0 0 %
Confederation of Regions Western 8 0 0 %
Independent 8 0 0 %
Libertarian  of Canada 6 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 6 0 0 %
 for the Commonwealth of Canada 4 0 0 %
No affiliation 2 0 0 %

 
1980 - Women as % of 282 MPs Elected: 5.0% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 218 14 6.42 %
Marxist-Leninist 62 0 0 %
New Democratic 33 2 6.06 %
Liberal 23 10 43.47 %
Union Populaire 21 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 14 2 14.28 %
No affiliation 14 0 0 %
Libertarian  of Canada 11 0 0 %
Parti Rhinocéros 11 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 11 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 10 0 0 %
Independent 8 0 0 %

 
1979 - Women as % of 282 MPs Elected: 3.5% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 195 10 5.12 %
Marxist-Leninist 48 0 0 %
New Democratic 47 2 4.25 %
Liberal 21 6 28.57 %
Communist  of Canada 19 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 14 2 14.28 %
Parti Rhinocéros 14 0 0 %
Libertarian  of Canada 10 0 0 %
Union Populaire 10 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 7 0 0 %
Independent 4 0 0 %
No affiliation 1 0 0 %

 
1974 - Women as % of 301 MPs Elected: 2.9% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 137 9 6.56 %
New Democratic 42 0 0 %
Marxist-Leninist 28 0 0 %
Liberal 20 8 40 %
Communist  of Canada 19 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 11 1 9.09 %
Social Credit  of Canada 8 0 0 %
Independent 6 0 0 %
No affiliation 3 0 0 %

 
1972 - Women as % of 264 MPs Elected: 1.9% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 71 5 7.04 %
New Democratic 28 1 3.57 %
No affiliation 18 0 0 %
Liberal 10 3 30 %
Progressive Conservative 6 1 16.66 %
Social Credit  of Canada 5 0 0 %
Independent 4 0 0 %

 
1968 - Women as % of 264 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 36 1 2.77 %
New Democratic 21 1 4.76 %
Progressive Conservative 6 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 2 0 0 %
Ralliement Créditiste 2 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 2 0 0 %
Independent 1 0 0 %
Independent Progressive Conservative 1 0 0 %
Liberal 1 0 0 %

 
1965 - Women as % of 265 MPs Elected: 1.5% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 37 4 10.81 %
New Democratic 16 1 6.25 %
Liberal 8 2 25 %
Progressive Conservative 8 1 12.5 %
Social Credit  of Canada 3 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 1 0 0 %
Independent Liberal 1 0 0 %

 
1963 - Women as % of 265 MPs Elected: 1.5% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 40 4 10 %
New Democratic 13 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 12 1 8.33 %
Liberal 6 3 50 %
Social Credit  of Canada 6 0 0 %
Independent 2 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 1 0 0 %

 
1962 - Women as % of 265 MPs Elected: 1.9% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 26 5 19.23 %
Progressive Conservative 7 3 42.85 %
New Democratic 7 0 0 %
Liberal 6 2 33.33 %
Social Credit  of Canada 4 0 0 %
Communist  of Canada 1 0 0 %
Independent 1 0 0 %

 
1958 - Women as % of 265 MPs Elected: 0.8% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 21 2 9.52 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 8 0 0 %
Liberal 8 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 3 2 66.66 %
Social Credit  of Canada 2 0 0 %

 
1957 - Women as % of 265 MPs Elected: 0.8% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 29 2 6.89 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 13 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 5 2 40 %
Social Credit  of Canada 5 0 0 %
Liberal 4 0 0 %
Independent Liberal 1 0 0 %
Labour Progressive 1 0 0 %

 
1953 - Women as % of 265 MPs Elected: 1.5% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 47 4 8.51 %
Labour Progressive 22 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 10 3 30 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 10 0 0 %
Liberal 3 1 33.33 %
Independent Liberal 1 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 1 0 0 %

 
1949 - Women as % of 262 MPs Elected: 0% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 11 0 0 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 5 0 0 %
Progressive Conservative 3 0 0 %
Union of Electors 2 0 0 %
Liberal 1 0 0 %

 
1945 - Women as % of 245 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 19 1 5.26 %
Labour Progressive 8 0 0 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 6 1 16.66 %
Progressive Conservative 2 0 0 %
Social Credit  of Canada 2 0 0 %
Liberal 1 0 0 %

 
1940 - Women as % of 245 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 9 1 11.11 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 5 0 0 %
Unity 1 1 100 %
Independent 1 0 0 %
New Democracy 1 0 0 %
United Farmers of Ontario-Labour 1 0 0 %

 
1935 - Women as % of 245 MPs Elected: 0.8% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 16 2 12.5 %
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation 7 0 0 %
Reconstruction 5 0 0 %
Independent Conservative 1 1 100 %
United Farmers of Ontario-Labour 1 1 100 %
Independent 1 0 0 %
Liberal 1 0 0 %

 
1930 - Women as % of 245 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 10 1 10 %
Liberal 3 0 0 %
Farmer 2 0 0 %
Independent 2 0 0 %
Progressive 1 1 100 %
Independent Conservative 1 0 0 %
Labour 1 0 0 %

 
1926 - Women as % of 245 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 2 1 50 %
Progressive 1 1 100 %
Liberal 1 0 0 %

 
1925 - Women as % of 245 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 4 1 25 %
Progressive 1 1 100 %
Independent 1 0 0 %
Independent Conservative 1 0 0 %
Labour 1 0 0 %

 
1921 - Women as % of 235 MPs Elected: 0.4% Women
Candidates
Elected Percentage Elected
Total 4 1 25 %
Labour 2 0 0 %
Progressive 1 1 100 %
Liberal 1 0 0 %
 

Source: Library of Parliament. (The late John Wilson noted to me that the Library of Parliament mistakenly recorded 11 women candidates in the 1949 election when there were in fact 15; however, I have not been able to verify this).

 

 

I welcome any feedback and suggestions for fresh material to add to this site -

Andrew Heard
Political Science Department  --  Simon Fraser university