In the last election, former Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff had made a public commitment to field a minimum of 33% female candidates. The single biggest challenge in electing more women seems to be getting them nominated. We know from past elections that women, once nominated, are as likely to be elected as male candidates. Given a chance to do so, electors apparently are as happy to choose a woman as a man. But they don’t get that choice if women’s names are not on the ballot. We are taking a proactive approach to ensure there are more women on the ballot in the next election. We have a large scale effort underway to recruit, empower and encourage women candidates. We are committed to ensuring that we reach our target of 33% women candidates in the next federal election. To learn more about the number of women elected to Canada’s parliament, click here Candidate Riding Roma Ahi Vancouver East / Vancouver Est Carolyn Bennett St. Paul’s Alyssa Brierley Burlington Marie Bountrogianni Hamilton Mountain Julie Bourgeois Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Nancy Charest Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia Lorraine Chartier Beauport—Limoilou Bernadette Clement Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry Siobhan Coady St. John’s South—Mount Pearl / St. John’s-Sud—Mount Pearl Bonnie Crombie Mississauga—Streetsville Rebecca Darnell Langley Ruby Dhalla Brampton—Springdale Kirsty Duncan Etobicoke North / Etobicoke-Nord Cindy Duncan-McMillan Pontiac Noushig Eloyan Ahuntsic Judy Foote Random—Burin—St. George’s Janna Francis Okanagan—Shuswap Hedy Fry Vancouver Centre / Vancouver-Centre Anne Gagné Québec Francine Gaudet Berthier—Maskinongé Martha Hall Findlay Willowdale Carol Hartman Sudbury Renée Hetherington Saanich—Gulf Islands Bev Hodgson Niagara Falls Christine Innes Trinity—Spadina Marlene Jennings Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine Marlene Lamontagne Calgary Southwest / Calgary-Sud-Ouest Nicole Larouche Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière Connie Laurin-Bowie Halton Kimberley Love Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound Marjory Loveys Leeds—Grenville Monica Lysack Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Mary MacDonald Edmonton Centre / Edmonton-Centre Karen McCrimmon Carleton—Mississippi Mills Betsy McGregor Peterborough Alexandra Mendès Brossard—La Prairie Jacqueline Miller Regina—Qu’Appelle Maria Minna Beaches—East York Karen Mock Thornhill Joyce Murray Vancouver Quadra Eva Nassif Laval Anita Neville Winnipeg South Centre / Winnipeg-Centre-Sud Ilona Niemczyk Elmwood—Transcona Lyne Pelchat Vaudreuil-Soulanges Chantal Perreault Repentigny Josipa Petrunic Calgary East / Calgary-Est Yasmin Ratansi Don Valley East / Don Valley-Est Karen Redman Kitchener Centre / Kitchener-Centre Kim Rudd Northumberland—Quinte West Carolyn Scott Sackville Eastern Shore Judy Sgro York West / York-Ouest Michelle Simson Scarborough Southwest / Scarborough-Sud-Ouest Roxane Stanners Saint-Lambert Michelle Stockwell Hamilton East—Stoney Creek / Hamilton-Est—Stoney Creek Gayle Stucke Lambton—Kent—Middlesex Lillian Szpak Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca Christine Tabbert Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke Anne Tennier Hamilton Centre Anita Vandenbeld Ottawa West—Nepean / Ottawa-Ouest—Nepean Bianka Villeneuve Jonquière—Alma Cindy Waters Parry Sound—Muskoka Linda Wilhelm Fundy Royal Kelly Wilson New Brunswick Southwest / Nouveau-Brunswick-Sud-Ouest Marilyn Wood Timmins—James Bay / Timmins—Baie James Wendy Yuan Vancouver Kingsway Lise Zarac LaSalle—Émard Patricia Zipchen Saskatoon—Wanuskewin