Despite ministerial parity, women still underrepresented as senior cabinet, PMO staff

Women hold 40 per cent of senior Liberal political staff roles, and fare slightly better under female ministers suggesting gender parity may be making a difference, observers say.

Former political staffers say it will take a concerted effort to close the gap of women holding senior roles in government. From left: Rachel Curran, former policy director to prime minister Stephen Harper; Michele Austin, was chief of staff to Conservative minister Rona Ambrose; and Isabel Metcalfe, who worked for three Liberal prime ministers in the '70s and '80s.The Hill Times file photograph and photographs courtesy of Rachel Curran and Michele Austin

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BY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN

November 22, 2017

Even though the Liberal cabinet was designed with gender parity in mind, women only represent 40 per cent of the senior staff supporting those ministers’ offices. Those positions—made up of chiefs of staff and their deputies...

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