Women in the British House of Commons
Encyclopedia
The representation of Women in the British House of Commons has been an issue in British politics at numerous points in the 21st century. Originally debate centered on whether women should be allowed to vote and stand for election as Members of Parliament. In more modern times concerns about the underrepresentation of women led the Labour Party to introduce all women short lists, something which was later held to breach discrimination laws. Since 1918 only 6% of Members of Parliament elected have been women.
Women gained the right to vote with the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1918
after World War I. This gave the vote to women over the age of 30. A Bill which allowed women to stand as MPs was also passed in 1918.
Female Members of Parliament for the Lib-Dem, SDP and Liberal Parties
, a method of affirmative action has been used by the Labour Party to increase the representation of women. In 2002 this method of selection was ruled to breach the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
. In response to this ruling the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002
legalised all-women short lists as a method of selection. The Equality Act 2010 extends this exemption from discrimination law to 2030.
Suffrage
In 1867, John Stewart Mill was the first Member of Parliament to raise the issue of women's suffrage in the House of Commons. Following this attempts were made to widen the franchise in every Parliament.Women gained the right to vote with the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1918
Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
after World War I. This gave the vote to women over the age of 30. A Bill which allowed women to stand as MPs was also passed in 1918.
Landmarks and records
- The first successful female candidate was the Sinn Féin politician Countess Constance Markievicz, she however did not take her seat in common with her Irish nationalist parties' policy of abstentionism.
- The first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons was Nancy Astor, Viscountess AstorNancy Astor, Viscountess AstorNancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor, CH, was the first woman to sit as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons.Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to the House of Commons in December 1918 after running for the Sinn Féin party in 1918 General Election, but in line...
. - The first woman to hold a Ministerial post was Margaret BondfieldMargaret BondfieldMargaret Grace Bondfield was an English Labour politician and feminist, the first woman Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom and one of the first three female Labour MPs...
who was appointed Under Secretary in the Ministry of Labour in the 1924 government of Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonaldJames Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
. - The only female Prime Minister was Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
who led the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. - In 1992 Betty BoothroydBetty BoothroydBetty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
was elected as the first female Speaker of the House of CommonsSpeaker of the British House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
. As of 2009 she remains the only female to hold the office of Speaker. - Irene WardIrene WardIrene Mary Bewick Ward, Baroness Ward of North Tyneside, CH, DBE was a British Conservative politician. She was a long-serving Member of Parliament .Ward was educated privately and at Newcastle Church High School...
was the longest serving female MP in the House of Commons. She was an MP from 1931–1945 and from 1950-1974. - Gwyneth DunwoodyGwyneth DunwoodyGwyneth Patricia Dunwoody was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Exeter from 1966 to 1970, and then for Crewe from 1974 to her death in 2008...
was the longest continuously serving female MP. She became an MP in 1974 and died in April 2008, just beating Barbara CastleBarbara CastleBarbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn , PC, GCOT was a British Labour Party politician....
, who was elected as MP for Blackburn in 1945 and retired in 1979.
Political Parties female represenation
Female Members of Parliament for the Conservative PartyFemale Members of Parliament for the Conservative Party
Since the beginning of the 20th century, a number of women have served in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as elected MPs for the Conservative Party. Though not the first woman to be elected as an MP, Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor was however the first woman to take her seat in the House...
Female Members of Parliament for the Lib-Dem, SDP and Liberal Parties
Female Members of Parliament for the Lib-Dem, SDP and Liberal Parties
The second female elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom was the Liberal Party MP Margaret Wintringham.-See also:*Liberal Democrat*Liberal Party*Social Democratic Party...
All-women shortlists
All-women shortlistsAll-women shortlists
The use of all-women shortlists is the political practice intended to increase the proportion of female Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom by allowing only women to stand in particular constituencies for a particular political party. Though the practice is available to all parties, only...
, a method of affirmative action has been used by the Labour Party to increase the representation of women. In 2002 this method of selection was ruled to breach the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Sex Discrimination Act 1975
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which protected men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marriage. The Act concerned employment, training, education, harassment, the provision of goods and services, and the disposal of premises...
. In response to this ruling the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002
Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002
The Sex Discrimination Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The purpose of the Act was to exempt the selection of candidates in parliamentary elections from the provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination Order 1976 that outlaw sexual...
legalised all-women short lists as a method of selection. The Equality Act 2010 extends this exemption from discrimination law to 2030.
2010 election
At the 2010 143 women were elected as Members of Parliament. Of these 81 are Labour, 49 Conservative, 7 Liberal Democrat, 1 Sinn Féin, 1 Alliance, 1 Green, 1 SNP, 1 SDLP and 1 Independent.See also
- Blair BabeBlair BabeThe terms Blair Babes and Blair's Babes refers to 101 female Members of Parliament from the Labour Party elected to the British House of Commons in Labour's landslide general election victory in 1997....
- a term used to describe the 101 female Labour MPs elected at the United Kingdom general election, 1997United Kingdom general election, 1997The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.