S11E02 Women In Municipal Leadership

S11E02 Women In Municipal Leadership

How do people find the confidence to put their name on a ballot and sit at the council table? This episode of MuniCast brings together three women who’ve done exactly that, sharing what it’s really like to step into municipal leadership across Saskatchewan.

Mayor Pat Jackson from the Town of Kipling, Councillor Victoria Flores from the City of Regina, and Councillor Kathy Evans from the Town of Birch Hills sit down with host Chris Brown for a roundtable on why representation matters, why diversity “drives positive change”, and how everyday community volunteers can become elected leaders.

Pat reflects on more than two decades in local government, talking candidly about the sheer range of issues councils face and the satisfaction that comes from improving life even for “maybe only 10 or 12 people” in town. Kathy traces her path from condo board chair tackling a water problem to taking local government courses and eventually running for council, encouraged by mentors and neighbours who saw something in her she hadn’t seen in herself.

Victoria, coming from the non-profit and community sector, talks about the so‑called confidence gap and laughs that she herself was asked “about seven times” before agreeing to run. You’ll hear honest discussion about the specific pressures women face in public life, including online backlash and the constant juggling of family responsibilities, alongside practical ideas: tapping people on the shoulder right after an election, building peer networks, and learning council procedures to feel ready in the chamber.

Threaded through the conversation is a simple but powerful challenge: “If not me, then who?” Whether someone is 25 or 65, with kids at home or an empty nest, these leaders argue there’s a place for them at the council table. It might just leave you asking yourself: could that seat be yours one day?