Pembina Valley Women in Leadership’s first speaker event filled the multipurpose room at the Boundary Trails Health Centre last Wednesday night with people eager to hear from four trailblazing women.
With the 2026 municipal election coming up, the evening featured a frank discussion around the challenges and victories that can come with a life in politics in the hopes more women will consider throwing their hat in the ring this fall.
Morden-Winkler MLA Carrie Hiebert served as the panel’s facilitator, asking questions of participants Hilda Froese, who served for many years on the Garden Valley School Division board of trustees, Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox, former Winkler city councillor Karina Bueckert, and former Gladstone mayor and Agassiz MLA and cabinet minister Eileen Clarke.
The four shared numerous stories from their respective times in office, and reflected on what it’s like to venture into what remains a very male-dominated environment.
“Fifty per cent of the population are women, but we don’t have nearly that many representing us in our municipalities and all of the different levels of government,” noted Hiebert.
All four panelists got involved in politics out of a desire to make a difference, and they found they were able to do just that. But it isn’t always an easy job, they shared, and it’s important potential candidates educate themselves on what they’re getting into.
“I think a lot of people go into every one of these roles thinking that they’re going in to do the work. To be the ones being the managers, telling staff what to do and all of that, and that’s not a role at all,” Knox said, noting every level of government has experienced management teams already doing that work. “What your role is on school boards or in the province or on municipal is to make decisions, make policy decisions, and to have a good team of staff that are helping you make those decisions.”
Entering politics at any level as a single-issue candidate is a recipe for disaster, the foursome observed.
“I’d encourage many of you to seek a place as an elected official, if that is your calling,” Froese said. “But don’t seek a place in an election, in an elected position, if you’re unhappy regarding a single isolated issue … do not try to get elected on an agenda-driven item. The workload and the opportunities for change are much greater than a single concern.”
“I always tell people: figure out your why,” Knox said. “What’s your real why as to why you want to do this? Is it because you want to better your community? Is it because you think you have skills and abilities to help move things forward? You really have to understand that why, because it is a commitment.”
A solid support network is key if you’re going to go down this path, observed Bueckert.
“Find your people and build your circle,” she said. “I was very isolated. I didn’t realize how alienated I was as the only female on council.”
But bringing the female perspective to the decision-making process is integral, she stressed.
“There’s a lot of things that women think about as a default that men don’t,” Bueckert pointed out. “When somebody approaches a policy change, a request for anything like that, I would think about how it impacts somebody differently than a man would. And that’s why it’s important for us to both be at the table … we need to have more than one vote that has a different opinion and a different experience and background.”
“There really are gender differences, and I believe you need all voices around the table,” agreed Knox. “Not just men and women, but all different types of voices, because when you’re sitting around that table, whether it’s municipal or provincial, you’re working for the whole population. So you need voices from the whole population, and you [need to] to get different perspectives.”
A good politician always needs to be prepared to listen to the concerns of their constituents, including those who may not agree with your decisions, noted Froese.
“I think the first thing we have to realize in an elected position is that we have many bosses, like thousands. That means all the ones that voted and even those that chose not to vote,” she said. “There’s always generally someone who is disappointed with the decisions that are made.”
She said she made a point of trying to have fruitful discussions with people to better understand their concerns and keep them in mind in the decision-making process.
Clarke reflected on the challenges of juggling family obligations with the time commitment municipal and then provincial politics called for. But she truly felt she was able to make a difference in providing a rural, female perspective.
“If you have an interest, it’s worth the challenge,” she stressed of politics. “It’s worth taking the risk.”
“I’ve worked with a lot of young people and I always say, if you can’t see it you can’t be it,” noted Knox, stressing women in politics serve as a role model for others considering stepping up to serve in the future. “We don’t have to lead like men—we have to lead like ourselves. And we have a voice around the table … you just have to make your voice heard. Even if it shakes, you make it heard and you can make a difference.”
