International Day of Democracy: Being Present Doesn’t Equal Being Heard

These numbers suggest that confidence is low, uneven and that a lot of racialized Canadians don’t feel very assured about federal institutions. Democracy depends on people trusting institutions, because they have to believe that their participation actually matters. 

Every year on September 15th, we observe the International Day of Democracy. The United Nations established this observance in 2007 to promote democracy as a universal value and to reflect on how democratic systems actually work in practice. The global theme for 2025 is “Achieving gender equality, action by action”. The theme is a reminder that democracy requires effort, action, and an ongoing commitment to ensure equal participation, especially for those who have historically been excluded. As the United Nations puts it, “Democracy draws its strength from people: their voices, their choices, and their participation in shaping their societies. It flourishes when rights are protected, particularly for those most often left behind.’’

This is especially poignant as we’re seeing very concerning actions from our own government negatively impacting gender equality. Prime Minister Carney eliminated the standalone Ministry of Women and Gender Equality when he first formed his cabinet, and in his first mandate letter to the cabinet in May, he also omitted any mention of women, gender, equity, or equality. The current government has also planned an 80% cut to Women and Gender Equality Canada’s budget over the next four years. Together, these actions show just how easily the support for women’s participation in democracy becomes expendable when budgets are tight and priorities shift.

Democracy on Paper vs in Practice

Democracy is built on the idea that every citizen’s voice matters equally. Canada’s population is  diverse and should strengthen that belief. The 2021 census shows that more than 25% of the population identified as visible minorities, with Indigenous peoples making up about 5%. Yet many of these Canadians still struggle to have their voices heard in spaces where decisions are made. 

The media shapes democracy too. Racialized politicians often get defined by their identity first, before their policies, and that influences how the public sees them and can discourage new leaders from getting into politics.

At the same time, younger generations are changing how democratic participation works. Movements like Black Lives Matter, Indigenous Land Back campaigns, and student-led climate strikes have opened up new spaces for expression and influence. Social media and grassroots organizing let young people engage in democracy beyond just the ballot box, giving them more ways to hold governments accountable.

April 2025 brought us an historic milestone when 12 Indigenous MPs were elected, the highest number ever to serve at once; yet non-racialized Canadian MPs have never held less than 80% of Parliament seats throughout Canadian history. This milestone points to progress, but it also shows us how big the gap still is between our population as a country and who represents us.

A History of Being Left Out and Persistence Today

For much of Canadian history, federal laws set limits on how Indigenous Nations could govern themselves. The Indian Act in particular puts heavy restrictions on Indigenous governance, shaping political life in ways that go against Indigenous traditions.

Even so, Indigenous nations kept their own systems of governance going anyway. These systems showed that Indigenous democracy has always been there, even when the Canadian state wouldn’t recognize it. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s Grand Council was built on consensus. The Mi’kmaq Grand Council had been leading for generations through traditions focused on responsibility to the community. Many Nations have well-established ways of governing their communities used prior to settler contact.

In recent years, we’ve seen the push for Indigenous sovereignty grow stronger, with pivotal wins a testament to how Indigenous people continue to fight to take back democratic practice on their own terms. In May 2025, the Heiltsuk Nation ratified its own constitution, creating rules of self-government that were grounded in community values. The Haida Nation also made two historic milestones. In November 2024, Canada recognized its right to self-governance through Bill S-16 and in September 2025, Haida title to Haida Gwaii was formally recognized by Canada, British Columbia, and the Supreme Court of BC.

When even the Leaders are Left Out.

Numbers can tell part of the story, but listening to racialized and Indigenous leaders who have been inside these institutions can tell us how democracy is actually experienced there.

Jody Wilson-Raybould, was the first Indigenous person to serve as Minister of Justice and Attorney General. When she testified during the SNC-Lavalin affair, she said: “I experienced a consistent and sustained effort by many people to seek to politically interfere with the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. There were veiled threats if a DPA was not made available to SNC”.  Even in one of the most senior cabinet positions, she talked about experiencing marginalization.

Celina Caesar-Chavannes, was the only Black woman elected in the 42nd Parliament representing Whitby in 2015 and serving as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. She said: “That place was definitely not built for me’’. She has also talked publicly about being repeatedly stopped by security while entering Parliament, being asked to identify herself despite being an elected official. It pointed to a lack of belonging that went way beyond just her personal experience.

Melanie Mark, of Nisga’a, Gitxsan, Cree, and Ojibway ancestry, was the first First Nations woman elected to the British Columbia provincial Legislature. When she resigned in 2023, her farewell speech was hard to listen to. She called the legislature a “torture chamber” and pointed to systemic racism and sexism as reasons she was leaving.

Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, an Inuk, represented Nunavut but chose not to run for a second term. In her final address to the House of Commons, she said: “This is a place that was never built for me, or for any Inuk or Indigenous person”.

Together, these experiences point to the same truth. Parliament and legislatures in Canada were created at a time when only white men were seen as rightful leaders, and that design has carried through to today. For racialized, Indigenous, women, and genderqueer leaders stepping into these spaces often means entering rooms that were never built to include them. Their authority is questioned, their presence is challenged, and their voices are set aside. These experiences expose the distance between access to political spaces and real influence within them. 

Democracy is a lie when presence is granted but voices are denied.

The People’s Voice

Casting a ballot is just one mode of democracy. Civic engagement also means showing up at community meetings, joining advocacy groups, signing petitions, and speaking out on local issues. It includes volunteering, organizing at the grassroots, and holding leaders accountable between elections. These everyday actions are part of how people shape decisions and make their voices heard.

The statistics actually show higher voter turnout among some racialized groups. South Asian respondents hit 89.8%, while Black Canadians reported 81.1%. These numbers tell us that despite all the barriers, these communities are still engaged and invested in civic life.

But the barriers to voting are still real. Language differences and limited access to information make it hard to understand political processes. Education systems that are underfunded or unequal limit opportunities for political literacy. Campaign financing and the high cost of running for office keep many racialized candidates from moving forward. 

The promise of equal access is still pretty uneven. In many communities, things like access to polling stations, voter ID requirements, and long wait times have made participation harder. Over-policing and surveillance of racialized communities create another layer of mistrust in institutions, leaving many people wondering whether participation actually makes a difference.

Think about families who are already dealing with burdens of housing insecurity, unstable employment, or unequal healthcare; they often don’t have much energy left to engage with political structures. What you end up with is unequal access, engagement, and participation, despite legal rights appearing the same on paper.

Even when racialized leaders do make it into institutions, tokenism is pretty common. Instead of being valued as decision-makers, they’re too often just seen as symbols of diversity. This gap between being present and having actual power ends up weakening democracy.

The Corporation’s Voice?

Democracy brings up a tough question: do these systems actually prioritize ordinary people, or corporate influence? 

Lobbying and campaign donations often carry more weight than the voices of the people, leaving communities with very little power over decisions that affect them. For families trying to advocate for better schools, healthcare, or housing, it can feel like they are being excluded. Big decisions about tax breaks, energy projects, or healthcare spending often happen behind closed doors, made by people with money and access, not the public or ordinary families. The spaces that are meant for shared power are now filled by corporations through lobbying. 

The oil and gas companies have pushed governments to water down climate commitments while still receiving billions in subsidies. The pharmaceutical companies have lobbied against a national drug plan that would lower costs for families. Families attend public meetings and write letters while corporations hire former government officials who know exactly which offices to visit and which arguments will work.

Building Real Democracy

This International Day of Democracy is a reminder that the work is still far from finished. Representation without real influence, rights without equal access, and presence without voice do not add up to equality. Democracy will only be real when every community can take part in shaping decisions, when leaders are not pushed aside by racism or sexism, and when the voices of families are not lost to the power of corporations. It will be real when the issues that matter most; housing, health, education, and food are decided with people, not just for them.

This responsibility belongs to us all. Governments need to remove the barriers that keep people out and make sure institutions serve more than just those with money or power. Communities, organizations, and individuals also need to keep pushing, asking the hard questions, and holding power to account even when it feels difficult. Democracy is built from the ground up, every day, when we insist that no one is left out and no voice is treated as less.

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