More female candidates on ballot in federal election than ever before

A record number of women are among the 1,601 candidates vying for the approval of voters and 308 House of Commons seats in the federal election campaign, according to Elections Canada.

But while women represent more than 50 per cent of the Canadian population, only 437 of the candidates — 27 per cent — are female.

"This improvement provides more opportunities than ever to increase the representation of women in Parliament," Equal Voice chairwoman Raylene Lang-Dion said.

All five major parties have made strides since the last election in getting more women to run, although the Tories continue to lag behind the others.