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According to a new study, the vast majority of local authorities in the UK continue to be dominated by men, with only a minority of councilors being women. An analysis by the Fawcett Society and Democracy Club found that less than 5% of councils (18 of 382) achieved at least parity in gender representation. Just over a third of local councilors are women, and at the current rate of change, a 50:50 representation through 2051, the report says.
Fawcett's analysis showed that no council has gender parity, with London the highest at 45% women and Northern Ireland the lowest at 26%.
It has been suggested that the proportion of women on boards in 2022 is only two percentage points higher than in a snapshot taken in 2018.
The largest proportion of women are in the Labor (47%), Green (43%) and Scottish National (41%) parties, while the smallest proportion are in the Conservative Party (29%), SDLP (29% ), the DUP (21%) and Ulster Unionist parties (20%), the study showed.
This research provides even more evidence of the problem of Tory women.
Fawcett Society Chief Executive Jemima Olchawski said: “Women are significantly affected by decisions made locally and are more likely to rely on services run by our councils, from social care to social housing.
“However, progress in terms of women's representation in local communities is advancing at a snail's pace. The fact that such a large majority of local councils are dominated by men diminishes public life.
"Government, local authorities and political parties must take action and record data on diversity, set targets for the representation of women alongside other protected characteristics and make the position of councilor more accessible to people with family responsibilities." .
Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Minister for Women and Equality, said: "Although there is always more to be done, we are proud to be well ahead of other parties in terms of women's representation in Parliament and local councils. .
“Unfortunately, this research provides even more evidence of the conservative women's problem. The Tories have spent 13 years reducing the standard of living for women and increasing NHS gynecological waiting lists, without being able to tackle the epidemic of violence against women and girls.
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