Women represent a slight majority of Quebec's population, yet they continue to occupy a minority of seats in its National Assembly and in Canada's House of Commons and Senate. To explain why this is the author examines Quebec women's political engagements from 1791 to the present. She traces the path that led to women obtaining the rights to vote and run for office and then draws on statistics and interviews with female politicians to paint an indepth portrait of women's underrepresentation and its main causes. Her account not only documents the democratic deficit in Canada's parliamentary systems, it also outlines strategies to improve women's access to legislative representation in Canada and elsewhere.
In this publication electoral politics in Canada and abroad are discussed, focusing on women's rights to vote and run for office in legislative elections, political parties, voting systems, electoral quotas for women, and participation in parliaments and governments. Original title: '100 questions sur les femmes et la politique' (2015).