Voters’ desire for change not only swept in a new provincial government this month, but also sent a record-breaking influx of female MPPs to Queen’s Park.

Of the 124 ridings in Ontario, 49 will be represented by women. At 39.5 per cent, that’s the highest of any provincial legislature across the country.

“It’s always encouraging to see the numbers go up,” said Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice, a non-partisan organization that works to boost the number of females elected to all levels of political office.

“This is a historic high for the Ontario legislature and I believe a historic high for any legislature in Canada.”

Before the election, when Ontario had 107 ridings, about 35 per cent of MPPs were women. The new percentage of 39.5 is slightly higher than British Columbia, at 38.5 per cent.

Twenty of the NDP’s 40 MPPs coming to Queen’s Park are women, something Leader Andrea Horwath noted during her first meeting with them last week in Toronto.

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“This dynamic team truly reflects the prospects of Ontario and the amazing diversity of this province,” said Horwath, the incoming leader of the official Opposition. “We have more women than the Ontario NDP has ever elected before.”

Women make up about one-third of the PC caucus (25 of 76 MPPs), and the Liberals have four female MPPs among their seven.

Peckford said 30 per cent is considered an important benchmark, and with Ontario near 40 per cent she considers that “more of a tipping point.”

“The difference that it makes — I think people have underestimated how important representation is,” said the NDP’s Laura Mae Lindo, elected in Kitchener Centre.

“If I didn’t see the number of women that were actually running, I wouldn’t have run,” said Lindo, who credits NDP MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) for tapping her on the shoulder and being persistent in urging her to seek office. “My hope is that more people will start running because they actually see that … not just that I’m a woman, but I’m a woman of colour.”

Incoming PC MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos (Oakville North—Burlington), who has years of experience as a chief of staff for several federal Conservative ministries, said “bravo — and it’s about time” that more women were elected to office.

“I’m just absolutely thrilled” by the number of female MPPs heading to Queen’s Park, she said. “A record number of women means that, collectively, we all bring something to the table that’s sometimes lacking.”

Peckford said the record number of women in the house “really sets the bar” and she expects to see a “strong representation of women” in Premier-designate Doug Ford’s cabinet.

Though the Tories have the lowest percentage of women of the three main parties, “what’s nice to see about this dynamic is you have at least 30 per cent women in every major party caucus,” Peckford said. “That’s a good news story.”

She noted the trailblazing of PC MPP Lisa MacLeod, whose efforts led to more family-friendly hours for MPPs, something the Nepean politician was honoured for this spring.

But it’s still not an easy road, added Peckford, and the 40-per-cent mark doesn’t mean the work is done.

The NDP’s Doly Begum, elected in Scarborough Southwest, said there were moments during the campaign when she felt like an outsider.

“If you see a picture of our debates, you see me in the middle,” surrounded by older men, Begum said. “During one of the debates, I texted my brother and said, ‘I don’t think I belong here.’

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“He said, ‘You are doing a good job. The room seems to love you.’ ”

Being at the NDP caucus meeting last Thursday “felt real,” given the diversity around the table, she added. “Looking around the room, I felt like I belonged.”

Progressive Conservative Amy Fee, elected in Kitchener—South Hespeler, believes the influx of women at the legislature is bound to encourage more to seek public office. The mother of two daughters said it is gratifying because “you’re able to say, ‘Look at what you can do and make your voices be heard.’ ”

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