Gondek and Sharp return to council chambers to discuss women in politics
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You can save this article by registering for freehere. Orsign-inif you have an account. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Coun. Sonya Sharp and Premier Danielle Smith pose after the official ground-breaking ceremony for the new Calgary event centre, called Scotia Place, in Calgary on Monday, July 22, 2024. Jim Wells/PostmediaFormer Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek and former Ward 1 councillor and mayoral candidate Sonya Sharp returned to Calgary city hall chambers for a conversation about their impact on Calgary politics Thursday evening. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. 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Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe event was hosted by Ask Her YYC, which celebrated 10 years of advocating for and training women to engage in civic leadership. To mark the occasion, Gondek and Sharp spoke about their time at city hall and the memorable aspects of their careers. It was weird to be back at city hall on the other side of the chamber, but it was nice to unwind and look back on her time in office, Gondek said. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againShe reflected on her time in office and shared the best and worst parts of the job, balancing family and work, and how she has spent the last eight months out of office. Gondek also discussed what led her to run for office as a councillor, how sushi Play-Doh played a role in her decision to run for mayor and even a tattoo she got while in office. “Life is hilarious now that I’m not mayor anymore,” she told the panel. “I’ll see someone at the grocery store, and they’ll say, ‘I voted for you. I’m so sorry you lost,'” Gondek said. “I also get, ‘Wow, your hair is much longer. '”For young girls looking to get involved in politics, Gondek said there are multiple ways to get involved, but the best thing they can do is take the time to figure out how to go about it and seek out different perspectives. “If politics is something you want to do, there are multiple ways to do it,” Gondek said. “. . . Give yourself time to figure out what you want and find those perspectives. ”With a small female presence on the current city council, Gondek said there is data showing women face challenges when running for office. A study conducted during her mayoral campaign found women are more likely to have the legitimacy of their position questioned. “There’s now proof that (women) get treated differently,” Gondek said. “And for all the people who say there’s no more racism, gender disparity, and just don’t go on social media, it’s not that easy. ”Sharp spoke about her decision to run for council, bouncing back from losing the mayoral election, negative comments on social media and a possible return to city hall. She felt right at home in council chambers, she told attendees as questions began firing off. It was an honour to share her thoughts about her tenure and the impact she had at city hall, she said. “Now I’m not a sitting politician, so to be someone that was a sitting politician and was a candidate running for mayor, I think I did shape things a little bit differently in the last four years when I was on council,” Sharp said. “So they wanted my perspective, and I was happy to be here tonight to share it. ”All women in politics have different perspectives, and it is important to give everyone an opportunity to understand what they go through, she said. It’s not a matter of “if” a woman in politics will be scrutinized, but “when. ”“I always say it’s not ‘if’ you’re going to get scrutinized as a woman in politics, it’s ‘when,’ and so how are you ready for that and how can you prepare yourself,” Sharp said. “I don’t generally like using the term ‘thick skin,’ but letting things roll off your shoulders and knowing that when people are saying things to you personally, it’s more a reflection of them than of you. ”Ask Her was very lucky to have Gondek and Sharp share their perspectives at the event, said president Karen Vanthuyne. Through its work promoting more female voices in public office, the organization helps communities understand how policies can play out while avoiding unintended or negative outcomes. “Without that representation at the table, it’s harder to stress-test policy, basically, and so having a diverse mix of representation, including gender, at the table means that we’re gonna get better outcomes for our city,” Vanthuyne said. Join the ConversationThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more aboutcookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to ourTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.