Exploring women's engagement in urban planning consultative process in Kelowna

Public participation is essential to democratic decision-making, as it ensures that ordinary people have a direct say in governmental choices. However, the literature suggests that public engagement is often a complicated procedure that does not always result in inclusivity. Women are among the underrepresented groups facing challenges participating in the urban planning processes. This study investigates women’s participation and representation in urban planning consultative processes within Kelowna, British Columbia. Using a case study approach that involves analyzing public hearings, municipal policies, and interviews with two groups of women citizens and experts, this study highlights gender-specific barriers and dynamics in public engagement. Findings reveal gender parity in numerical attendance but uncover hidden challenges in decision-making due to procedural and discursive constraints that often leave women feeling excluded from meaningful influence in planning outcomes. The study also found that while numerical gender parity exists in participation at public hearings, it does not automatically lead to equal descriptive representation at senior levels. Additionally, the study highlights a significant lack of diversity within both participation and representation, with predominantly older, educated, white women participating and younger and minority women notably absent.