Canadians and political activities

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Release date: October 4, 2018
Infographic: Canadians and political activities
Description: Canadians and political activities

Canadians and political activities

How do women and men engage in politics?

In Canada, women account for:

Men are slightly more likely than women to be members of, or volunteer for, a political party
  Women Men
Members or participants 3.6% 4.9%
Volunteers 1.6% 2.2%
Women participate in political activities in different ways than men
  Women Men
Attend a public meeting 13% 17%
Express views by contacting a newspaper or politician 9% 11%
Express views via internet 12% 16%
Sign a petition 31% 30%
Boycott or choose products for ethical reasons 23% 21%
A lower proportion of women report being very interested in politicsFootnote 4
  Women Men
Very interested 15% 24%
Somewhat interested 45% 44%
Not very interested 25% 19%
Not at all interested 14% 12%
Top 4 reasons reported by respondents for not voting in the 2015 federal electionFootnote 5
  Women Men
Not interested in politics 30% 33%
Too busy 23% 24%
Illness or disability 15% 13%
Out of town 10% 10%

Source : General Social Survey (Social Identity), 2013, population aged 15 and older.

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