Women for 50% Conference - October 2025

Our Progress

From 16% to 35% — and we're not stopping until we reach 50%

Women in the NB Legislature

Maintaining Momentum

16%

in 2014

22%

in 2018

29%

in 2020

35%

in 2024

50%

in 2028

Women for 50% Conference - October 2025

In 2024, New Brunswick elected its first woman Premier.

Susan Holt

A historic milestone - and proof that when women step forward, change happens.

Our Journey

Women for 50% founded as a non-partisan organization promoting gender equality in the NB Legislature.

2017


  • Educational conference with 400+ attendees

  • Regional workshops launched across the province

  • NB becomes first jurisdiction in North America to adopt an Elections Act change to incent parties to nominate women candidates

2018


  • Advocacy on She-cession and COVID-19 impact

  • Public awareness and media attention

  • Outreach to party leaders to encourage nomination of women candidates

2020


  • Women for 50% presents to Legislative Committee on how NB can show global leadership, close gaps for women, and become a more family-friendly legislature

  • MLA Megan Mitton gives birth while in office — the first time in 24 years since Carolle de Ste-Croix in 1995

  • Baby-changing tables installed in the Legislature

  • More organizations focused on women in politics emerge, growing the movement province-wide

  • Record numbers — 224 women elected across NB, up from 164 in 2016

2021


  • Media advocacy continues

  • Candidate mentoring, awareness building, and grassroots mobilization across the province

  • Parties begin to recruit women candidates

2022-2023


  • Historic numbers of women elected

  • Susan Holt becomes New Brunswick's first woman Premier

2024

  • May listening session to validate future focus

  • October 17 Falls Conference

2025

Women for 50% Honor Roll

The progress is real -

but the work continues.

Help us reach 50% by 2028