Women Aren’t To Blame For The Gender Divide In Parliament – Our Politicians Are

It should also be acknowledged that the practical barriers associated with running for parliament are harder to overcome for women; it requires substantial financial resources, which considering women still earn on average 18.4% less than men is tricky, what’s more it is still the case that women are overwhelmingly primary care givers, meaning the extreme time commitments required to run a campaign are acutely difficult to manage. 

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, you don’t need to look far to find examples of men and women doing more to combat the persistent underrepresentation of women in parliament. 

One such example is the 50:50 parliament Campaign. 

Founded in 2013 by Frances Scott when she realised that she had never heard an MP or policy maker discuss issues that mattered to her. Scott set off on a mission to increase the number of women’s voices in parliament and what started as a petition, led to an inquiry into women in the House of Commons in which 50:50 made a number of recommendations on how to make the House more accessible and inclusive. 

Seven years on, 50:50’s operation has expanded rapidly, but we can’t do it alone, and women are not the only group that is unrepresented in government. 

A balance of voices within parliament is vital to ensure that society’s interests are represented and understood fully in the formation of laws and policies. Increasing the number of women in parliament isn’t equality for the sake of equality, it has a tangible impact on the daily lives of people across the UK. When women have been brought into the decision-making process, they have pioneered life changing policies on equal pay and pay transparency, maternity and paternity cover and most recently sexual harassment with the introduction of legislation on up-skirting. If we carry on at the current rate it will take over 50 years to achieve a 50:50 parliament, so let’s keep fighting the battle until its won, and parliament reflects the society it represents.  

HuffPost UK is partnering with The Big Ideas festival, a day of political and cultural conversation across a range of topics from politics and society to communities and arts, taking place on 31 August in Mudchute, East London.