100 years on, female MPs are still too few
Source: The Guardian
By Helen Pankhurst and 19 others,
This week marks 100 years since the first women gained the right to stand for election to the House of Commons – a landmark in Britain’s democratic history. Sadly, however, women continue to be desperately under-represented. The current number of 209 women MPs is the highest ever – but constitutes just 32% of our total elected representatives in the Commons.
In 100 years, there have been just 491 (including just 19 from Wales). That’s just 50 more than the number of men sitting in parliament today. BME and disabled people are severely underrepresented. And the diversity deficit is even worse in local councils. This affects which issues are heard and which are ignored in the halls of power.
Part of the problem is that we still do not know how many women are being put forward for election by parties. Despite businesses now having to open up about their gender pay gaps, parties are failing to open up about the political gender and diversity gap across elections.
Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 20 November 2018.
By Helen Pankhurst and 19 others,
This week marks 100 years since the first women gained the right to stand for election to the House of Commons – a landmark in Britain’s democratic history. Sadly, however, women continue to be desperately under-represented. The current number of 209 women MPs is the highest ever – but constitutes just 32% of our total elected representatives in the Commons.
In 100 years, there have been just 491 (including just 19 from Wales). That’s just 50 more than the number of men sitting in parliament today. BME and disabled people are severely underrepresented. And the diversity deficit is even worse in local councils. This affects which issues are heard and which are ignored in the halls of power.
Part of the problem is that we still do not know how many women are being put forward for election by parties. Despite businesses now having to open up about their gender pay gaps, parties are failing to open up about the political gender and diversity gap across elections.
Click here to read the full article published by The Guardian on 20 November 2018.