Leadership féminin Prescott-Russell is Inviting Women Across Ontario to Consider Running For Municipal Office

A Province wide Virtual Event Designed To Connect Potential Candidates with Resources and Support]

Two-thirds of women who run for municipal office experience harassment during their campaigns, yet women represent only 30% of councilors across Ontario. Recent research from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario reveals the significant barriers keeping qualified women out of local government, and a collective of local organizations is responding with concrete support.

Local campaign schools across Ontario are hosting “Run Where You Are,” a free online event on Monday, September 23 at 7:00 PM. The session connects women and gender-diverse people who are considering running for municipal office in the October 2026 Ontario Elections.

The virtual event features a panel of elected women from different municipalities sharing honest conversations about their decision-making process, campaign experiences, and what they wish they’d known before taking the leap. Participants will learn about everything from fundraising realities to time management and where to find help along the way. Leadership féminin Prescott-Russell (LFPR) is proud to announce that one of its own, Councilor Lisa Deacon from Russell Township will be one of the panelists at the event!

“We’re seeing too many qualified women and gender-diverse individuals hesitate to put their names forward,” said Marie-Noëlle Lanthier, organizer of the Municipal Campaign School in Prescott-Russell. “This event is designed to move people from curious to confident by connecting them with real experiences and concrete next steps.”

Currently, only 37% of Ontario’s municipalities are led by women or individuals who identify as gender-diverse. The campaign school collective aims to change these statistics by providing accessible information and ongoing support to potential candidates.
“Through this collaborative approach put forth by the Municipal Campaign School Coalition, women will see that they don’t have to navigate the decision to run alone,” added Julie Séguin, Councilor for Hawkesbury, Member of LFPR’s advisory committee on women in politics and Board member for the Association of francophone municipalities of Ontario (AFMO). “We’re building a network of support that extends from that fi rst moment of wondering ‘should I run?’ all the way through election night and beyond.”

The event will also highlight resources available through partner organizations, including campaign schools launching later this fall to provide hands-on training for candidates preparing for the 2026 municipal election cycle.

Registration is free and available at eventbrite.ca/e/run-where-you-are-tickets-1527433106539. Donations are welcome to support ongoing programming.

Event Details

The “Run Where You Are” event is organized by a collective of campaign schools including ElectHER Now, The Jean Collective, Municipal Campaign Schools in Wellington, Guelph and Oxford, Women’s Campaign Training, and Leadership féminin Prescott-Russell. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is supporting promotion of the event.

• Date: Monday, September 23, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM (Eastern)
• Format: Virtual via Zoom
• Cost: Free registration, donations welcome
• Registration: eventbrite.ca/e/run-where-you-are-tickets-1527433106539