1. More Women in European Politics
Tanya Hughes
Director
Ballybeen Women’s Centre

2. National

3. Political Structure
UK – Constitutional Monarchy in which Monarch is head of state & Prime Minister is head of government
Executive power is exercised by Her Majesty’s Government as well as by the devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Parliament of the UK, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as in the Scottish parliament and Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The highest national court is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The House of Commons is the lower house of the UK Parliament which, like the House of Lords (the upper house), meets in the Palace of Westminster
The House of Commons is a democratically elected body consisting of 650 members known as Members of Parliament (MPs). Members are elected to represent constituencies by first-past-the-post and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved.

4. Con Lab LD Other Total MALE House of Commons House of Lords National Assembly of Wales Scottish Parliament Northern Ireland Assembly London Assembly European Parliament FEMALE House of Commons House of Lords National Assembly of Wales Scottish Parliament Northern Ireland Assembly London Assembly European Parliament (UK Members) % FEMALE House of Commons 16% 32% 12% 21% 22% House of Lords 18% 29% 29% 17% 22% National Assembly of Wales 29% 50% 20% 36% 42% Scottish Parliament 40% 46% 20% 29% 35% Northern Ireland Assembly 19% 19% London Assembly 11% 42% 50% 50% 32% European Parliament (UK Members) 24% 38% 55% 30% 33%

5. UK General Election May 2010
Country
Total Number of Seats
Number of Women MPs
%Women MPs
England
533
119
22%
Scotland 59 13
Wales 40 7
17.5%
Northern Ireland 18 4
22.2%
TOTAL
650
143

6. Regional Variations Region Total Number of Seats Number of Women MPs
East of England 58 9
15.5%
East Midlands 46 11
23.9%
Greater London 73 24
32.9
North East England 29 10
34.5
North West England 75 16
21.3
South East England 84 14
16.7
South West England 55 20
West Midlands 59 13 22
Yorkshire & Humber 54
18.5
Scotland
Wales 40 7
17.5%
Northern Ireland 18 4
22.2%
TOTAL
650
142
22%

7. Women in the House of Commons
Election year Number of % women
women MPs MPs

8. WOMEN MINISTERS
Currently 4 out of 22 (18%) Cabinet posts are held by women.
Of 121 Government Ministers, including the Cabinet, whips, Lords in waiting and 13 unpaid positions 23 (19%) are women.
Prior to 2010 election 30% of ministers were women

9. Devolved Legislatures

10. Wales NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES 2011 ELECTION
No. of women (60 total seats)
(2007 total in brackets)
No of women in constituency seats (40 total seats)
No of women in regional seats (20 total seats)
Labour
15 (16) 13 2
Plaid Cymru
4 (7) 1 3
Conservative
4 (1)
Liberal Democrat
2 (3)
Independent / Other
0 (1)
TOTAL
25 (28) 17 8
Women as total % of National Assembly for Wales
1999 Elections
40%
2003 Elections
50%
2007 Elections
46.7%
2011 Elections
41.7%

11. Scotland SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT 2011 ELECTION No. of women
(129 total seats)
(2007 total in brackets)
No of women in constituency seats
(73 total seats)
No of women in regional seats
(56 total seats)
Labour
18 (23) 7 11
Scottish National Party
19 (12) 14 5
Conservative
6 (5) 6
Liberal Democrat
1 (2) 1
Green Party
1 (0)
Independent / Other
1 (1)
TOTAL
46 (43) 21 25
Women as total % of Scottish Parliament
1999 Elections
37.2%
2003 Elections
39.5%
2007 Elections
33.3%
2011 Elections
35.6%

12. NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2011
Party
Total Seats
Women
% Women
APNI 8 2 25
DUP 38 5 13
SDLP 14 3 21 SF 29 28
UUP 16
12.5
Other -
Total
108 20
18.5%

13. LONDON ASSEMBLY RESULTS 2012
Party
Total Seats
Women
% Women
Conservative 9 1 11
Labour 12 5 42
Liberal Democrats 2 50
Other
Total 25 8
32%

14. Local Government
% of women elected as councillors at local government level:
England
2011 – 30.7%
Scotland
2012 – 24.3%
Wales
2012 – 26.3%
Northern Ireland %

15. Europe

16. EUROPE UK European election results by gender and party, 2009
Total MEP’s Elected
Women
Men
% Women
BNP 2
Conservative 25 6 19 24
Conservative & Unionist 1
DUP
100
Green
Labour 13 5 8 38
Liberal Democrat 11 55
Plaid Cymru
Sinn Fein
SNP
UKIP 15
Other
TOTAL 72 47
35%
(Total 2004 78 20 58
26%)

17. MEP’s by Region Region Number of Seats Number of Women East Midlands 52
Eastern 7 1
London 8 4
North East 3
North West
South East 10
South West 6
West Midlands
Yorkshire & the Humber
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
TOTAL 72 24

18. % of MEPs by country July 2009

19. Addressing Underrepresentation
EQUALITY LEGISLATION
Sex discrimination Act 2002 – allowed political parties to use positive action in the selection of election candidates. Now amalgamated to
Equality Act 2010 – extends the provision to exempt political parties from sex discrimination law until 2030 UK
Labour – only party to use provision & policy of all women shortlists to address gender imbalance in party
Conservatives – do not use all-women shortlists but the marked increase in women MP’s is evidence of Con Central Parliamentary Selection Board to place more women on lists

20. Addressing Underrepresentation
A QUOTA SOLUTION?
2 main types –
Party – adopted voluntarily by party to aim for a certain proportion of female candidates (25-50%). Govern composition of party lists (PR electoral systems) or selection of candidates (plurality systems))
Legislative – mandatory provisions applying to all parties
Effectiveness:
Last 30 years has seen a significant increase in women in politics in states here PR exists, but only modest through Plurality/majority systems
The British first-past-the-post system and the French two-round system are known to work against women.

21. Addressing Underrepresentation
SHORTLISTS All women shortlists are a good example of the way selection rules can affect female representation. Cons & Lab had more women candidates than at previous elections & %age of female MP’s in each party increased

22. Conclusions
Range of cultural and economic factors affect the level of women’s representation internationally - level of secularism, length of time women have had vote to rates of women in paid employment and levels of state of childcare
Yet political factors such as party ideology, electoral systems (FPTP) and candidate selection rules are clearly crucial
Internationally, PR electoral systems, where selection rules require that women are selected have resulted in rise in women’s representation
Extension of the Sex Discrimination Act 2002 to enable the use of al women shortlists until 2030 should make a difference in relation to gender, if all parties use it

23. However!
UK is placed 52nd on table of women’s representation in Parliaments worldwide UK also remains behind most European Parliaments which tend to have PR election systems At the current rate of change & under current system it will take a further 200 yrs to achieve parity in the number of women and men n parliament

24. B What have we done to promote women n politics?
Education and training programmes
European Projects -
Study Visits
Meetings and debates with elected representatives
Collective lobbying and campaigning
Ensure representation on working groups and consultative bodies