Breaking the Parliaments ceiling
We, the public, are meant to have faith that our governments consider the public when voting on what is best for our society. But, how are we sure all are considered when the people that walk into those chamber rooms do not even reflect half of the general public.
That is to say, Parliament is unfortunately still dominated by white male MP’s. How can we expect our governments to act fairly on all issues, when they are unable to fully understand the weight of these issues brought to them.
This needs to change. Now more than ever we need our governments to be understanding and compassionate to women’s issues. In the wake of Sarah Everard, a harrowing experience a lot of women know to well, research found sexual assault and rape offences against women were at a record high (Syal, 2022). Too often are women’s issues dismissed and belittled. We need voices in our government that are going to hear, speak out for us and not just to appeal to voters or meet a diversity quota. Genuine passionate political women, who speak out when we need them the most. So, where are they ?
The White male stale
The benches in the House of Commons are seriously lacking in female representation. Although there has been a slight increase in the amount of women in parliament, the uneven representation is still crystal clear. Recent reports from the House of Commons report this increase as a positive, yet the number still lies under half (House of Commons, 2022). Currently there are 35% female MP’s, putting them at around 225 in total and 229 female Members of the House of Lords (House of Commons, 2022). Even if we were to consider this progression as positive, men still massively outweigh women in more senior positions (House of Commons, 2022).
(Fig.1 Amount of Female MP’s Elected Over the Years, House of Commons, 2022)
Other areas in the United Kingdom however have a better understanding of equal representation. In both Scotland and Wales, their parliaments have just under half their MP’s as female (House of Commons, 2022). Although not perfect, this is still better than England’s current numbers which refer to only a third as “improvement”. So, are these shockingly low numbers evidence of bigger problem ?
So, why are there so little female employees?
Having diversity within that cabinet room is key to ensuring all voices are heard on the issues` they vote on. Having little say on laws and issues that directly affect them is just another way women are giving less agency over their lives. Equality must be striven for in all areas of our societies especially our governments.
So why are the men out weighing the women here? What is going wrong ?
Well, many have highlighted that Parliament has been found guilty of haboring misogynistic environments that make it harder for women to enter the world of politics. The University of Bath published a report that identified some key barriers that held back women in parliament. These barriers are..
- Social and cultural barriers
- These barriers are held up by society’s assumption that politics is no place for a woman (Maguire, 2018). Although we have progressed to an extent, they are still often perceived as needing to only fulfill caring and nurturing roles in society (Maguire, 2018). This then leads on to affect women’s financial capacity to enter such fields of work because they are often fulfilling these nurturing roles (Maguire, 2018). Moving from the part time sector to parliament is a big leap for anyone, especially if you’re expected to be juggling child care with that as well (Maguire, 2018).
- Structural and institutional barriers
- Here, the issue lies within.These barriers are reinforced by the parties themselves and how they conduct themselves (Maguire, 2018). From the disconnect in their policies and their local action in regards to women, interest in recruitment that only appears when needing to fill diversity quotas and taking part in awful misogynistic behavior as well (Maguire, 2018).
- Knowledge and information barriers
- Evidence has been found that information needed about how to enter working in sectors such as these is not accessible to the public especially marginalised groups (Maguire, 2018). They are less likely to have network connections that a lot of those in parliament or connected to it do (Maguire, 2018). Connections and offers are more based on who knows who rather than, who’s best for the job (Maguire, 2018).
All these barriers combine to make it harder and harder for women to enter these spaces we so desperately need them in. We need to strive for equal representation in our governments to break down these barriers and ensure they are working in everyone’s best interest. Not just for what interests them.
However this issue goes further than women as a whole. When considering how women are held back in our society, we can not ignore the intersectional issues that women of color specifically deal with. Battling this intersection must be incredibly hard. Trying to break through the barriers holding them back from governmental positions not just as women but as women of color. Of the POC six cabinet ministers in parliament right now, only one of them is a woman (House of Commons, 2021). This needs to improve. White men can not be expected to fully understand the complex issues that POC women face and therefore are not equipped to vote on their behalf.
So what can we do ?
This imbalance matters. We can not expect our governments to fully understand and be compassionate to women’s issues when women are not welcome there in the first place. Young girls of today need to know there is a place for them in politics, even if it does not seem like it. We must focus on gaining this equal representation. Representation will inspire confidence and motivation in the younger generation. Something we need more than ever. So I implore any women looking to go into politics, push through these barriers and break down the parliamentary boys club running our country.
References
House of Commons, 2021. Ethnic diversity in politics and public life. London: House of Commons Library.
House of Commons, 2022. Women in Politics and Public Life. London: House of Commons Library.
Maguire, S., 2018. Barriers to Women Entering Parliament and Local Government. [online] Bath: University of Bath. Available at: <https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/barriers-to-women-entering-parliament-and-local-government/> [Accessed 21 March 2022].
Syal, R., 2022. Recorded rapes and sexual offences in England and Wales hit record high. [online] The Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/27/recorded-rapes-and-sexual-offences-in-england-and-wales-hit-record-high> [Accessed 21 March 2022].
Hi Jodie,
I loved this blog and I agree that there needs to be a higher presentation of women in parliament.
As someone who has seen campaigns such as Why Is My Professor White? and taken part in discussions about how curriculums are dominated by dead white men’s theories. These campaigns heavily reflect what we see in parliament today, which is incredibly unfortunate as we’ve seen little change. I would like to ask you why you think there is a lack of diversity within the UK government?
As a Black woman in the UK, I feel that diversification not only scares MPs but also scares the British public. We’ve seen how unkind the British media and public have been to MPs like Diane Abbot. I fear that the UK is governed by white supremacy, sexism and racism which simply does not allow the space for intersectionality. Although contemporary society may have wedged the gap open a tiny bit so we may see figures like Sadiq Khan become the mayor of London, it comes with the cost of being under extreme scrutiny. What are your thoughts on this?
Super Interesting Blog! I agree that women lack representation in politics and it’s really important, especially now in the US with the fight for abortion rights, and gender inequality in the workplace. These are all issues that women should be at the forefront of the legislative decision making. I’m curious how you would solve the issue and especially intersectionally within parliament.
Hey Jodie,
Your blog is such an important read, especially to young women as the statistics you have included evidently show that more of us are needed in positions of power.
I can really understand your determination to encourage young women to get more involved in politics. However, as you’ve mentioned in your blog, Parliament has been found guilty of harbouring misogynistic environments and after also reading an article based on Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner’s severe experience of sexism within the Parliament, do you not think this would discourage young women to insert themselves into a system which will they face abuse? Not to say, i agree with the fact that this should prevent us from gaining equal representation. But i was wondering how you think we can encourage young women to get involved, with the knowledge that there is a long and hard fight ahead of them if they were to do so?
I will attach the link to the article as it provides such important insight and i would love to hear your thoughts on it!
https://abcnews.go.com/International/sexism-row-erupts-uk-parliament-basic-instinct-article/story?id=84311807
I think that you comment on many similar issues that I address in my blog 2 on women within the Houses of Parliament. Furthermore, as you mention, intersectionality is also important to understand when analysing the treatment of women in Parliament. The lack of women within the Houses of Parliament, when we claim to be a representative democracy, represents a massive threat to the ideals that our government claims to stand for. We’ve seen across the globe the damage that decisions made on women’s issues can have when the women that will ultimately be effected by these decisions aren’t involved with the process. From the threats to women’s right to choose in the United States, to tampons and pads being taxed as high as 20% across EU nations.
A key detail that you address that I believe is most at fault for the ceiling for women within the House of Parliament is the sexist behaviour of the men who occupy the Houses.
In 2018, there were numerous reports of women stepping down from their positions as MPs due to the sexist and threatening behaviour of both the general public AS WELL as their fellow Members of Parliament. With dismissals steeped in sexism yelled across the benches of the House of Commons, it’s no wonder why so many women do not consider a roll within the Houses of Commons to be a “dream job”, and find other ways to serve their communities.
What do you suggest is an effective solution to the problem of sexist behaviour within the Houses of Parliament?
Hello, Jodie
Your blog is engaging and enjoyable to read. I agree with your assessment of the lack of female representation in parliament and the sexism experienced by many female MPs from their male colleagues. I also liked how you mentioned intersectionality because, while we often hear about sexism, we must also acknowledge that many women of colour face discrimination based on both their gender and race. I recall reading an article written by Diane Abbott, a black female MP, about the discrimination she has faced since being elected to the House of Parliament. The article was both interesting and informative to read. I’ll include the link below.
http://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/diane-abbott-trailblazer-black-women-public-life