The Substantive Representational Effects of Women Legislators in Presence, Legislative Outputs, & Extra-Parliamentary Activi
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The Substantive Representational Effects of Women Legislators in Presence, Legislative Outputs, & Extra-Parliamentary Activity: A Qualitative Analysis of the Canadian Senate Stephanie Anne-Marie Mullen A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science Department of Political Science Faculty of Public Affairs Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © Copyright Stephanie Anne-Marie Mullen, 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 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Abstract Women have been traditionally under-represented in political institutions. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, of all the single or lower houses in the world, women only constitute 16.8% of the legislature — 15.9% of women in the upper houses or Senates. In Canada, women make up 20.8% of the House of Commons, but constitute 35% of the Senate. The high level of women Senators in Canada is in fact the highest level of women in any federal or provincial legislature in Canada. With such a high level of women legislators, no academic studies have been conducted to determine the substantive effects women have had on this institution. It is for this reason, that this study was undertaken. Three hypotheses are examined to determine the effect of women on the Canadian Senate: presence, legislative activities, and extra-Parliamentary activity. The first hypothesis examines whether the atmosphere within which Senators work has changed with the presence of women Senators. In particular, this part of the study is interested in whether there were there more formal/informal support systems for women legislators and whether they employed the same adversarial style typical of politicians. The second hypothesis focuses on the legislative activities of the Senate and women Senators. Specifically, the study examines whether women introduced pro-women legislation, spoke on women's issues, and voted in a gendered manner. The committee system is also explored. The last hypothesis steps outside of Parliament Hill and examines the activities of female Senators when they are not in Chamber. These activities include helping to organize women, bringing women into Parliamentary activities, and recruiting candidates for their respective parties. Although results for some hypotheses were mixed, the vast majority held a high level of support. This Thesis establishes baseline measures for future research and researchers to expand upon. The vast literature on women in the House of Commons demonstrates the amount of future research that can or should be expected. The most immediate research project should be an examination of shared legislative space. These are areas where women in the House of Commons and the Senate meet to conduct either party (caucus) or legislative work (Joint Standing Committees). n Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents Table of Contents iii Figures and Tables iv Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Thesis Model: Descriptive & Substantive Representation of 30 Women Within the Institutional Constraints of the Senate Chapter 3 Descriptive Representation of Women in the Senate 69 Chapter 4 The Effect of Women's Presence in the Senate 99 Chapter 5 The Legislative Impact of Women 123 Chapter 6 The Extra-Parliamentary Activity of Women in the Senate 166 Chapter 7 Conclusion 197 Appendix A - Interview Guide 221 Bibliography 226 in Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Tables TABLE 1 A: INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THESIS HYPOTHESIS AND THESIS 13 MODEL TABLE 1B: HYPOTHESIS WITH ITS CORRESPONDING LEVEL OF ANALYSIS & 25 QUALITATIVE TECHNIQUES TABLE 1C: PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN INTERVIEWED BY PARTY 27 TABLE 1D: PERCENTAGE OF RETIRED WOMEN INTERVIEWED BY PARTY 27 TABLE 1E: PERCENTAGE OF SITTING WOMEN INTERVIEWED BY AGE 28 TABLE 1F: PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN INTERVIEWED BY EDUCATION 28 TABLE 1G: PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN INTERVIEWED BY LENGTH OF SERVICE IN 29 SENATE TABLE 2A: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THESIS MODEL & MEASUREMENT 42 INDICATORS TABLE 2B: SENATE REGION BY GENDER 54 TABLE 2C: TOP 10 PROFESSION FOR SENATORS & MPS (37 th PARLIAMENT) 62 TABLE 2D: TOP 10 PROFESSION OF WOMEN & MALE SENATORS (37™ PARLIAMENT) 64 TABLE 2E: EDUCATION BY MALE AND FEMALE SENATORS 65 TABLE 3A: PRIME MINISTERS TOTAL NUMBER OF SENATE APPOINTMENTS, BY 73 GENDER TABLE 3B: HISTORICAL APPOINTMENTS BY PARTY AND BY GENDER (1929-2006) 74 TABLE 3C: TOTAL NUMBER OF WOMEN & MEN IN THE SENATE 75 TABLE 3D: TOTAL NUMBER OF WOMEN IN SENATE 8< HOUSE OF COMMONS 76 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE 3E: PRIME MINISTERS TOTAL NUMBER OF SENATE APPOINTMENTS BY 77 GENDER TABLE 3F: VISIBLE MINORITY BY GENDER IN SENATE 80 TABLE 3G: VISIBLE MINORITY BY GENDER IN HOUSE OF COMMONS 81 TABLE 3H: GENDER BY INUIT, FIRST NATIONS AND METIS STATUS OF SENATE 85 APPOINTMENTS TABLE 31: APPOINTMENT OF ABORIGINALS PRE AND POST CHRETIEN’S 86 GOVERNMENT TABLE 3J: GENDER BY INUIT, FIRST NATIONS AND METIS IN HOUSE OF COMMONS 87 TABLE 3K: ELECTION OF ABORIGINALS PRE AND POST CHRETIEN’S GOVERNMENT 88 TABLE 4A: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THESIS MODEL & MEASUREMENT 99 INDICATORS TABLE 4B: WOMEN SENATORS BY SUBSTANTIVE REPRESENTATION CATEGORY 102 TABLE 4C: WOMEN SENATORS EXPLANATIONS FOR NOT EMBRACING “WOMEN’S 103 ISSUES” TABLE 4D: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THESIS MODEL & MEASUREMENT 105 INDICATORS TABLE 4E: FEMALE SENATORS’ RESPONSES TO DIFFERENCE QUESTION 112 TABLE 4F: ATTENDANCE BY GENDER BY SESSION OF THE 37™ PARLIAMENT 118 TABLE 4G: OBSERVATIONAL ATTENDANCE BY GENDER BY SESSION OF THE 37™ 119 PARLIAMENT TABLE 5A: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THESIS MODEL & MEASUREMENT 124 INDICATORS v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE 5B: SENATE FIGURES: SPEAKERS ON HOUSE OF COMMONS BILLS BY 130 GENDER FOR 37™ PARL. 3 rd SESS. TABLE 5C: HIGHEST FEMALE SPEAKERS TO GOVERNMENT BILLS 37™ PARL. 3 rd 131 SESS TABLE 5D: HIGHEST FEMALE SPEAKERS TO GOVERNMENT BILLS BY BILL SPONSOR 132 TABLE 5E: SPEAKERS ON SENATE BILLS BY GENDER FOR 37™ PARL. 3R0 SESS. 133 TABLE 5F: HIGHEST FEMALE SPEAKER TO SENATE BILLS 134 TABLE 5G: HIGHEST FEMALE SPEAKERS TO SENATE BILLS BY BILL SPONSOR 134 TABLE 5H: SPEAKERS ON SENATE INQUIRES BY GENDER FOR 37™ PARL. 3 rd SESS. 135 TABLE 51: HIGHEST FEMALE SPEAKERS TO SENATE INQUIRIES BY BILL SPONSOR 136 TABLE 5J: HOUSE OF COMMONS 3rd READING VOTE OF C-43 BY GENDER 139 TABLE 5K: HOUSE OF COMMONS 3rd READING VOTE OF C-43 BY PARTY AND BY 140 GENDER TABLE 5L: SENATE 3 rd READING VOTE OF C-43 BY GENDER 140 TABLE 5M: SENATE 3 rd READING VOTE OF C-43 BY PARTY AND BY GENDER 140 TABLE 5N: GENDER BREAKDOWN BY SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE 37™ PARL. 3R0 147 SESS. TABLE 50: GENDER BREAKDOWN BY HOUSE OF COMMONS STANDING 149 COMMITTEE37™ PARL. 3R° SESS. TABLE 5P: GENDER BREAKDOWN BY CHAIRS AND DEPUTY COMMITTEE CHAIRS FOR 150 SENATE AND HOUSE OF COMMONS TABLE 5Q: WITNESS LIST BY PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER & GENDER 156 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE 6A: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THESIS MODEL & MEASUREMENT 167 INDICATORS TABLE 6B: CASE STUDIES OF FEMALE SENATORS’ EXTRA-PARLIAMENTARY ACTION 168 TABLE 6C: EXTRA-PARLIAMENTARY ISSUES BY GENDER 37™ PARL. 3 rd