“This 80-page essay makes the case for gender parity in government in a concise, candid, and informative way. The book is a compilation of facts, statistics, and explanations that answer the hows, whys, and what ifs. It concludes that gender parity isn’t tokenism but a new and improved way of doing things that forces adaptation in the political process before, during, and after elections.”And make no mistake about it: there can be no real democracy where the concerns and issues of all are not represented.”In pursuing gender parity, Navarro reminds us, Canada is far behind the hundred or so countries that have already made it obligatory, balancing political systems from which women were long excluded.”But women aren’t excluded from the political process in Canada!” I can already hear you saying. Here’s where we disagree because exclusion can take many forms. It’s not enough to legally allow women to run for office. It requires a concentrated effort to dismantle the system that refuses to make it worthwhile for them to run. And make no mistake about it: there can be no real democracy where the concerns and issues of all are not represented.Navarro underlines the role of the state in bringing about gender parity and emphasizes it’s a way to bring in a new era of gender partnership. In other words, this isn’t about women taking over (as many men’s rights activists allude to), but ushering in a true partnership that would mean real change and representative democracy for all.”That’s the true value of partnership,” Navarro writes. “It implies a political will to inclusion and taking into account women’s perspectives in all fields, not just in areas deemed to be ‘women’s issues’ (health, education, family).” — Toula Drimonis, Ricochet