For the first time, Yukon's Legislative Assembly will have more women than men

For the first time in the Yukon’s history, more women than men have been elected to the territory’s Legislative Assembly.

According to Elections Yukon, 11 women and one non-binary MLA were elected in this week’s vote — making up 57 per cent of the legislature.

Lindsay Brumwell, interim executive director of Equal Voice — a charity dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics — said the result came as “a pleasant surprise.”

“This is an amazing result,” she said. “We’re really happy to see Yukon leading the way in Canada.”

Brumwell said the milestone reflects how northern communities value local leadership regardless of gender.

“It’s a testament to people knowing their neighbours, picking the best community leaders for them, and supporting the people that are going to best serve them in these roles.”

Brumwell said similar progress has been made in other jurisdictions, including British Columbia, where women surpassed 50 per cent representation in the 2024 provincial election, and the  Northwest Territories, which reached gender parity after its 2019 election.

During the campaign, the Yukon also saw the most women running in a campaign in at least a decade. Twenty-seven women and one gender diverse person ran to represent their electoral districts totalling 46 per cent.

Brumwell added that more women in office can lead to stronger policy.

“Having women around the decision-making table is critical to making sure that policies reflect everyone.” 

Yvonne Clarke was re-elected Monday night, as a Yukon Party MLA this time for the new riding of Whistle Bend North. She said she’s proud to be part of the territory’s first female-majority legislature.

“It feels really good,” she said. “I’m just so happy that I’m able to continue my work — and that it’s a majority. That’s icing on the cake.”

Clarke, who has chaired the Yukon Advisory Council on Women’s Issues and served on the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians steering committee, said she hopes to keep advancing gender equality now that she is part of government. She noted legislatures in other provinces and territories offer child-care support for MLAs. 

She also called for more funding for the NGOs under the Yukon Women’s Coalition — a group of organizations advocating for better women’s health care and other policies that support women and fight poverty and violence against women.