“For me, a better democracy is a democracy where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect, but to be elected.” - Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 2018. In today’s episode we interview Jennifer O’Connell, the Member of Parliament for Pickering-Uxbridge in Ontario, Canada. We discuss:

• What sparked Jennifer’s interest to get into politics at such a young age
• Any barriers Jennifer faced when entering the political sphere, and what she did to manage and overcome them
• Jennifer’s rise from a young (23-year-old) City Councillor of Pickering to Member of Parliament by age 33
• Some of the differences between local and national politics
• Some of her successes as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
• Her experience of being a woman in politics versus her male counterparts’ experiences
• The various unique opportunities that are available to women in politics, policymaking, and in the public service
• Jennifer’s advice to young women looking to pursue a career in politics

Instagram: @jenniferoconnell_

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