He's just NOT that into you.....

Canadian women have shown a reluctance to vote Conservative for some time now. But it was not always so.

In the early post-war era, it was generally accepted that women in western democracies tended to be more right wing in their voting preferences than men. But since the 1980s, many scholars have observed a realignment of female voters toward the left. Experts attribute this shift to a range of factors, from greater educational opportunities to the ongoing lag in women's wages and a decline in religiosity.

The so-called "modern gender gap" also became apparent in Canada during the 1990s, especially outside Quebec, according to a 2002 study by Lynda Erickson of Simon Fraser University and Brenda O'Neill, now with the University of Calgary. During the '90s, women recoiled from the policies of the Reform Party, a precursor of the Conservative Party, and moved toward the NDP.

Some analysts believe the Conservatives must now do more to address issues traditionally considered important by women

• The environment (28 per cent of men believe that Canadian leaders should focus on the environment, compared with 29 per cent of women.)
• Health Care (Both genders agree that health care is the second most important issue facing the country, but a much larger 27 per cent of women consider it key, compared with only 18 per cent of men.)
• Education (For men, it was the economy)
• Poverty (For men, it was military defence)