The honourable Yvonne Clarke, Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, is drawing attention to the role of women in territorial politics in advance of International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8.
The current legislature features a recording breaking cohort of women and gender diverse Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The general election on November 3, 2025 saw the largest number of women ever elected to a Yukon Territorial Council or Legislative Assembly: 11. For the first time, women and gender diverse Members of the Legislative Assembly form the majority of the Assembly, at 57 percent of elected members (12 of 21). Recently updated historical information on women in the Legislative Assembly is available in the Assembly’s online resources: https://yukonassembly.ca/sites/default/files/inline-files/history-women-elected-to-legislative-assembly.pdf
The Yukon Branch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) association, of which all Yukon’s women MLAs are a member, is currently working on a project entitled Women Leading Yukon: Stories from the Legislative Assembly. The project, which is funded by the CWP Gender Strengthening Funds program, will profile current women MLAs, highlighting their leadership journeys, contributions, and impact. The initiative aligns with the CWP’s mission to promote women’s representation and full participation in political leadership at all levels.
“I am looking forward to launching this exciting campaign to share the stories of the incredible women in our Legislative Assembly! I take great pride in my accomplishments and becoming the first Filipino-Canadian woman to hold the position of Speaker. I want to share my experiences and those of my colleagues to help inspire more women to serve their communities by stepping into leadership roles.”
- Hon. Yvonne Clarke, Speaker
This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the building which houses the Legislative Assembly (now the Jim Smith Building), and the unveiling of “The Women’s Tapestries” in May 1976. The five large wall hangings that adorn the Assembly’s Members’ Lounge were created to celebrate International Women’s Year. Over 2,500 Yukoners contributed to the stitching which features the strength and endurance of northern women through the territory’s five seasons (the extra season being “survival” between the winter and spring).