Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 decreased by 4.3%. All the political parties have improved to some degree but none will achieve 50:50 male/female representation in the near future. Currently 16% of Conservative MPs are women, 32% of Labour MPs and 12% of Liberal Democrats. In terms of women’s representation at the local level, 35% of all local councillors were women, 9 an increase from 30.6% in 2010, 10 but only 12.3% of council leaders in England, 13.3% of elected mayors and 14.6% of Police and Crime Commissioners. 11 In 2012, 22% of all Peers in the House of Lords were women, 12 an increase from 19.7% in 2008 and 16.5% in 2003, 13 and 35% of all the UK’s elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are women. 14 The UK currently ranks joint 57th in terms of female representation worldwide. 15 There are three main stages where parties can intervene to improve gender balance in the candidacy cycle: the supply pool of women candidates available for selection; the selection of candidates; and the election of candidates (for example, fielding candidates in ‘strategic’ seats). Parties have differed in their approach to increase women’s representation within their parties. All main parties have robust women’s networks that aim to grow the supply of women candidates and support them in selection and election. However, parties’ interventions at selection and election stages differ. For example, equality and diversity training for selectorate boards does not exist across all parties, and only the Labour party has adopted women-only shortlists and proactively fielded women candidates in winnable seats. Currently, women in parliament are a fairly homogenous group and there is an underrepresentation of women from diverse backgrounds within political life. LGB&T and Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women, women from lower socio-economic backgrounds, younger and older women, and disabled women, are hugely underrepresented in politics. Whilst parties have pioneered initiatives (for example, the Liberal Democratic party has launched its ‘Leadership Programme’) progress is not happening fast enough and commitment and leadership is needed from Government and political parties to create the necessary traction for change. The Government has adopted temporary special measures to increase the number of women in Parliament, 16 (See Article 4) allowing political parties to adopt women-only shortlists for parliamentary candidates. However, few political parties are employing these provisions in proactively tackling the underrepresentation of women within their parties and in addressing issues of supply and election of women. Recommendation: The Government should actively ensure that all political parties adopt proactive equality guarantees (such as women-only shortlists, twinning etc.) to redress the gender imbalance within the supply pool of party candidates and the selection and election of party candidates 9. Centre for Women and Democracy (2012) Representing Change: Women in the 2012 Local Elections in England http://www.cfwd.org.uk/ uploads/Representing%20Change%202012%20Local%20Elections.pdf 10. Centre for Women and Democracy (2011) Representative Democracy? Women in the 2011 Local Elections in England http://www.cfwd.org. uk/uploads/pdfs/RepresentativeDemocracyFinal.pdf 11. Centre for Women and Democracy (2013) Sex and Power 2013: Who runs Britain? Counting Women In Coalition: London http:// www.countingwomenin.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Sex-and-Power-2013-FINALv2.-pdf.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_ source=WRC&utm_campaign=2282094_WRC+March+e-news&dm_i=4DW,1CWVI,BQJQT,4LVG0,1 12. Hough, D. (2013) Women in Parliament and Government. www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN01250.pdf 13. Kelly, R. and White, I. (2009) All-women Shortlists. www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN05057.pdf 14. Centre for the Advancement of Women in Politics (2010) UK Women Members of the European Parliament http://www.qub.ac.uk/cawp/ UKhtmls/UKMEPs04.htm 15. Inter-Parliamentary Union (2013) Women in National Parliaments. http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm Accessed: 22/03/13 16. S.104 & S.105 Equality Act 2010 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents 62 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013
7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 The House of Lords Reform Bill provided an opportunity to bring about a step change in women’s political representation and address the democratic deficit of the current gender imbalance in the House of Lords. Disappointingly this was withdrawn in September 2012. 17 Another chance to increase women’s representation was also missed when the Church of England voted against female bishops, 18 thus banning them from having seats in the House of Lords and reducing the number of women who can have a voice within this structure. Recommendations: • The Appointment Commission should be statutorily required to appoint equal numbers of women and men as peers in the House of Lords • The Government must learn from best practice in the devolved assemblies and beyond, including initiatives such as: the recently passed Electoral Amendment (Political Funding) Bill 2011 in the Irish Dáil; and, the availability of crèche facilities and an emphasis on family-friendly working hours in the Scottish Assembly and Welsh National Assembly which has led to a greater representation of women in both assemblies, as is highlighted in the 7th Periodic Report 19 Increasing the number of BAME women in political and public life As the Government’s report notes, BAME women represent 5.8% of the UK population, but remain heavily under-represented in political and public life comprising less than 1% of councillors. 20 Prior to 2010, there were only two Black women Members, and no Asian woman had ever been elected. The 2010 General Election saw the first Asian women MPs. The total number of minority ethnic women MPs increased by seven in 2010 and, a subsequent byelection in Feltham and Heston, puts the current total of minority ethnic women MPs to ten. 21 We welcome the Government’s practical action 22 in addressing this imbalance on the recommendation of the CEDAW Committee in 2008. 23 While the work of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce was a positive step for improving representation, the conclusions from the GEO’s own evaluation recognised that more support is needed to engage BAME women in party politics, 24 and we have found no evidence that this has been implemented. Muslim women in particular face specific barriers in accessing political and public life. These issues include: • intensification of Islamophobia 17. House of Lords Reform Bill Statement, 4th September 2012 http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/september/statement-onhouse-of-lords-reform-bill/ 18. Davies, L. (2012) ‘Female bishops and the Church of England: what happens next?’, The Guardian, 21st November 2012 http://www. guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/21/female-bishops-church-what-next 19. Government Equalities Office (2011) CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women) report. United Kingdom’s Seventh Periodic Report. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7thcedaw-report?view=Binary Paragraphs 91 and 92 20. Government Equalities Office (2011) CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women) report. United Kingdom’s Seventh Periodic Report. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7thcedaw-report?view=Binary Paragraph 93 21. Cracknell, R. (2012) Ethnic Minorities in Politics, Government and Public Life (5th January 2012) Social and General Statistics Section, House of Commons Library. Standard Note: SN/SG/1156 (p.4) 22. Government Equalities Office (2011) CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women) report. United Kingdom’s Seventh Periodic Report. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7thcedaw-report?view=Binary Paragraph 93 23. CEDAW Committee (2008) Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Forty-first session http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/555/92/PDF/ N0955592.pdf?OpenElement – recommendation, Para. 46. b): “That the State party take effective measures to increase the participation of BME women in the labour market, and in political and public life – including through the use of temporary special measures.” 24. Government Equalities Office (2010) Evaluation of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce. GEO: London http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/research/ethnic-women-taskforce/summary-bame-women?view=Binary Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 63
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Women’s equality in the UK - A he
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Women’s equality in the UK - A he
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Appendices (online only) Appendix 1
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• the continued discrimination ag
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• Develop a common model of analy
Page 11 and 12: Article 9 - Nationality: One third
Page 13 and 14: investment in social infrastructure
Page 15 and 16: and increase the marginalisation of
Page 17 and 18: have been no prosecutions in Englan
Page 19 and 20: 1 2 3 4 5 Introduction This is a Un
Page 21 and 22: 10 11 12 13 housing crisis, a ‘lo
Page 23 and 24: 1.1 1.2 1.3 Article 1 - Overarching
Page 25 and 26: 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 Women’
Page 27 and 28: 1.17 1.18 1.19 Young women We are a
Page 29 and 30: 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 consult to “remov
Page 31 and 32: 2.12 2.13 discrimination”. Howeve
Page 33 and 34: 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 worsen gen
Page 35 and 36: 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 CEDAW and the l
Page 37 and 38: 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 would “increase
Page 39 and 40: 3.15 3.16 3.17 and accountable EHRC
Page 41 and 42: 3.22 3.23 3.24 report is was partic
Page 43 and 44: classes, migrants, and Gypsy, Trave
Page 45 and 46: the institutional discrimination an
Page 47 and 48: 5.5 5.6 5.7 Case study: 8 Sandra li
Page 49 and 50: 5.12 5.13 5.14 issue. A more approp
Page 51 and 52: 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Article 6 - Exploit
Page 53 and 54: 6.9 6.10 6.11 to the protection and
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Page 57 and 58: 6.24 6.25 6.26 women and increase t
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Page 61: 7.1 7.2 Article 7 - Political and p
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Page 71 and 72: 9.9 9.10 Mainstreaming gender in th
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Page 75 and 76: 9.21 9.22 9.23 9.24 women. 47 (See
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12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 Translators
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12.19 12.20 12.21 12.22 Barriers to
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12.25 12.26 12.27 12.28 Gypsy and T
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12.34 12.35 12.36 12.37 Older women
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12.41 12.42 Recommendations: • Th
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12.47 12.48 12.49 12.50 they are at
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12.55 12.56 12.57 Case studies: 128
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12.60 12.61 12.62 12.63 12.64 hospi
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13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Article 13
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13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 children ne
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13.17 13.18 13.19 13.20 Welfare ref
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13.25 13.26 13.27 13.28 because in
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13.32 13.33 Case study: 57 “As a
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13.36 13.37 allocation of resources
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13.41 13.42 Homelessness, including
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13.47 13.48 BME women would be left
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13.52 13.53 13.54 13.55 with some l
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13.60 13.61 13.62 effect to their p
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14.6 14.7 14.8 disabled and lesbian
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14.14 Gypsy and Traveller women suf
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15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 15.10 15.11 The
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15.14 15.15 15.16 purport to be vic
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15.21 15.22 15.23 Case study: 35
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15.28 15.29 15.30 15.31 has not pro
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15.35 15.36 behaviour by male priso
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16.5 16.6 people being forced into
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16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15
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16.21 16.22 frequently women’s ac
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Recommendations: • Parents with c
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19.6 19.7 19.8 as well as for our c
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19.13 19.14 19.15 19.16 The Governm
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19.22 19.23 19.24 19.25 VAWG is a c
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19.30 19.31 19.32 19.33 DV is still
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19.38 19.39 19.40 perpetrators thro
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19.43 19.44 19.45 Support for victi
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19.49 19.50 19.51 19.52 Recommendat
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19.57 19.58 19.59 19.60 BMER VAWG p
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19.62 19.63 19.64 19.65 VAWG in hea
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19.70 19.71 19.72 Invisibility of s
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19.77 19.78 19.79 A number of repor
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19.85 19.86 means more provision. T
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Annex 1: The Devolved Administratio
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to 41.8% of rural men. 16 Rural are
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Annex 2: The UK’s relationship wi
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Annex 3: UK reservations and declar
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ESA - Employment and Support Allowa
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Annex 5: Acknowledgements Many than
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Women’s Resource Centre is suppor
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Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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