Women over 60 remain underrepresented on Quebec campaign trail

In Quebec’s provincial election, women aged 60 and older are running in far smaller numbers than men in the same age group, according to data from Élections Québec. The article highlights how that gap is showing up on the campaign trail as candidates compete ahead of the Oct. 5 vote. Anne Latendresse, a 65yearold former university professor and researcher, is running for Québec solidaire in the MauriceRichard riding in Montreal. She says her career, her family situation, and decades of experience in social movements gave her the confidence to enter politics now. The story also points to broader barriers for older women in politics, including fewer role models, the need for recruitment by parties, and ongoing ageism. Valérie Caron of a nonprofit promoting gender parity says older women have often had fewer examples to follow, while Sonia Bélanger of the Coalition Avenir Québec says women still face more scrutiny than men and argues that older women have an important role in government.