Where ARE all the "promised" Women MPs?

So - we may have a Campaign for Gender Balance which seeks to get more Women as Approved Candidates and "eventually" MPs. How "eventually" are we looking at?

Exactly how many Women Approved Candidates did we have for this latest Election and why do we have so few in Parliament, let alone in Government?

Why did more women not get elected? What can we do about the fact that very few were elected?

I still think that we are being dominated by all male and all white MPs. What do you think? Discuss.

Tags: MPs, Women

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Emma Lucy Savage on July 27, 2010 at 17:58

As a young woman in my early 20's, I have experienced gender discrimination, especially as I study in a male dominated environment. However I've found that it's younger men, who are threatened by my intelligence who make remarks and 'jokes'. I would love to believe that when I have children, they wont have to grow up in a society that discriminates against each other for whatever reason, but unfortunately I know that they most likely will.

To me, everyone is the same. I don't want to be given a job just because I'm a woman and the boss wants to look good. I don't think that that's the right way to combat against sexism. The problem lies within attitudes, and giving someone a job simply because they're a woman will not change these attitudes, it will only strengthen them and create resentment. I believe in respecting the individual, and I believe that this is what we ought to be promoting. Although the problem then lies in how do we do that?

Permalink Reply by Rebekah Gronowski on July 28, 2010 at 5:30

I agree with you Emma - attitudes towards women definitely need to change. The only way as I see it at the moment is to educate our children to respect everyone for who they are.

I'm so sorry to hear that you have suffered from discrimination in the study place. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that young men are threatened by our intelligence! That is so true and it is not only young men - older men still have it in their heads that women cannot possibly be as intelligent as they are, let alone more intelligent.

Men need to take on board that women ARE equal in every respect and that includes intelligence - I know many women who are intellectually far superior to them! Men have to get over this - they are not necessarily more intelligent than women just because they are men!

Permalink Reply by Richard on July 28, 2010 at 10:19

I think a great step would be to attract people from the large online base we have, to supporting local groups and standing as councillors and MPs. I'm trying to talk more of my girlfriends into getting involved and standing rather than just supporting from afar and voting liberally.