{"id":3233,"date":"2018-12-14T11:25:35","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T11:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.electoral-reform.org.uk\/?p=3233"},"modified":"2018-12-18T15:39:13","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T15:39:13","slug":"times-running-out-in-this-centenary-year-why-are-the-government-waiting-to-tackle-the-political-gender-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/electoral-reform.org.uk\/times-running-out-in-this-centenary-year-why-are-the-government-waiting-to-tackle-the-political-gender-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Time is running out in this Centenary year – why are the government waiting to tackle the ‘political gender gap’?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In November, the Electoral Reform Society helped coordinate an unprecedented coalition of campaigners and politicians<\/a> in calling for government action on the \u2018political gender gap\u2019. Marking the centenary of women\u2019s right to stand for Parliament, the ERS and other campaigners called for parties to publish the demographic makeup of their election candidates, as the first step towards tackling the gender gap in politics and to improve diversity.<\/p>\n

The policy that would enable candidate diversity reporting is already in law \u2013 it just hasn\u2019t been implemented. Here, the Centenary Action Group<\/a> (including ERS) call for Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt to enact S106 of the Equality Act at last.<\/p>\n

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Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP
\nMinister for Women and Equalities
\nGovernment Equalities Office<\/p>\n

14th December 2018<\/p>\n

Dear Minister,<\/p>\n

As the centenary of women\u2019s partial suffrage draws to a close we are writing to you as the Centenary Action Group to recognise the millions that have campaigned this year in support of gender equality, and to highlight the huge gap that still exists before we can truly achieve women\u2019s equal political participation.<\/p>\n

One hundred years since the first women in the UK got the vote, less than one-third of MPs are women. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women are chronically underrepresented. Globally, women make up less than one-quarter of legislators.<\/p>\n

Inspired by the suffragettes and suffragists, the Centenary Action Group has established itself as one of the UK\u2019s largest coalitions of women\u2019s rights activists and organisations. We have brought together over 100 activists, politicians and women\u2019s rights organisations from across the UK. We have the support of all of the major UK political parties.<\/p>\n

Together we have called on the UK government to use this Centenary year to deliver real change for women\u2019s lives in the UK and around the world. Specifically:<\/p>\n