Update: Riley fell short in her bid to win a seat in parliament, but her party triumphed in Monday's elections. This piece, originally published on October 16, 2015, has been updated to include a statement from Riley on the results.We Americans share a lot with our northern neighbors. We all care about our furry friends daydream about Ryans (both Gosling and Reynolds), and have complicated feelings about Drake . We also don’t have enough women in politics.Women make up a little more than half of the populations of Canada and the U.S., but the World Economic Forum reports that both countries have shamefully low numbers of women in politics. Canada ranked a dismal 42nd in the world, and the U.S. is 54th — well below nations including Iceland, Finland, Nicaragua, and Rwanda. Liz Riley , who is running for federal office in Canada, wants to change that. Riley went from being a physiotherapist to a CEO, overseeing three different hospitals across Canada and caring for her son alone after her husband passed away suddenly in 2001. Now, she is running to represent her riding — or district — in Canada's parliament.With Canadians getting ready to head to the polls on Monday, Refinery29 caught up with Riley on the campaign trail to discuss the importance of getting women into leadership roles, how Canada must help refugees, and her vision for her country."I was retired for about six months, and had a wonderful time doing those things that you imagine you’ll do when you retire — traveling, going to matinees, snowshoeing — but I decided to try and change things up in Ottawa, because I felt that we deserve a better government. I had many conversations with people who told me that they were looking for a strong Liberal candidate in my district to take on the Conservative incumbent, Bruce Stanton."I’m very proud of Canada and what we’ve contributed to the arts, sciences, technology, medicine, and sports, but lately I’ve been less proud. I’m concerned that our current government tends to divide us instead of unite us, pitting one segment of the population against the other."I’m ashamed that the United Nations had to rap Canada on the knuckles for how we’ve treated our indigenous people . I’m ashamed of our international reputation on the environmental front. We used to be seen as leaders, and now we’re the only country to have reneged on the Kyoto accords . I’m concerned about the way our parliament and democratic institutions have been disregarded. Our current government is suing our supreme court on a regular basis. It doesn’t add up."