New research from Brock University's Niagara Community Observatory is painting a clearer picture of the lack of representation for women on local government councils.
The latest brief found that despite women accounting for 51.6 percent of Niagara's population, only 27 of the region's 126 elected positions were held by women.
When it comes to advisory committees and local board positions, women claimed 45.1 percent of the positions.
The authors offer a few recommendations, including a review of the 'Seat at the Table' six-month mentorship program for women, all policy recommendations undergo a gender-based-plus analysis, and focused recruitment efforts to ensure better representation from both women and men.