More Women in European Politics

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 257 174 50 23 504 House of Lords 173 160 64 236 633 National Assembly of Wales 10 15 3 7 35 Scottish Parliament 9 20 4 51 84 Northern Ireland Assembly 88 88 London Assembly 8 7 1 1 17 European Parliament 19 8 5 16 48 FEMALE House of Commons 48 83 7 6 144 House of Lords 39 65 26 50 180 National Assembly of Wales 4 15 2 4 25 Scottish Parliament 6 17 1 21 45 Northern Ireland Assembly 20 20 London Assembly 1 5 1 1 8 European Parliament (UK Members) 6 5 6 7 24 % 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

6. Regional Variations

7. Women in the House of Commons Election year Number of % women women MPs MPs 1979 19 3.0 1983 23 3.5 1987 41 6.3 1992 60 9.2 1997 120 18.2 2001 118 17.9 2005 128 19.5 2010 143 22.0

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 • Women as total % of National Assembly for Wales

11. Scotland Women as total % of Scottish Parliament

12. Northern Ireland

13. London Assembly

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 2011 - 23%

15. Europe

16. EUROPEUK European election results by gender and party, 2009

17. MEP’s by Region

18. % of MEPs by countryJuly 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