Why the next Senedd could be the least representative of women ever

Jessica Blair, Director of ERS Cymru

The Senedd hit the headlines back in 2003 when it became the first legislature in the world to reach 50:50 gender parity between men and women.

It was a proud moment for our country and showed Wales leading the way in ensuring democratic institutions truly represent the people that they serve.

However, now that legacy is under threat.

Just over a year out from the next elections, the Senedd could once again make the news on its gender balance - but for all the wrong reasons. That is, unless political parties step up.

[mid-content-banner]

Guidance 

Earlier this week the Welsh Government published long awaited guidance around diversity, which includes a range of measures from gender quotas, diversity plans and the collection and publication of diversity data.

Those of us with a long memory may recall some of this was part of a bill to introduce statutory gender quotas.

That Bill was dropped in September, and in its place we now have this guidance.

The key difference here is that last year’s bill would have made gender quotas mandatory, while this new guidance leaves it up to political parties to decide whether or not to adopt these measures - meaning that some may choose to ignore them altogether.

The risk here is that many will choose to do the latter.

The Senedd’s positive record on gender parity has historically been the result of parties voluntarily utilising measures like all women shortlists, zipping and the twinning of constituencies. All of which are strategies that basically ensure there’s a good number of female candidates in places where they are more likely to win seats.

That is what led to the record breaking numbers we saw in 2003. But dig below the surface and the reality is that only a couple of parties have used measures like this, and by chance they have done well at Senedd elections, essentially inflating the success of voluntary positive action.

[lower-mid-content-banner]

Fragmentation

The risk now is that few parties will introduce the measures recommended in the guidance, and with polls showing a real split in voter intention it is likely the next Senedd will be made up of more parties.

As a result, if these polls bear fruit then this fragmentation could lead to a Welsh Parliament that is less representative of women than ever before.

In addition to the measures on gender balance, the guidance also includes recommended provisions to improve broader diversity in the Senedd. Suggesting parties measure and publish data around the diversity of their candidates, and take diversity and inclusion seriously through a specific strategy.

This is absolutely where parties can do better, particularly around ethnicity and the representation of disabled people.

Currently, 5% of MSs come from an ethnic minority background, slightly lower than the Wales average, and there is no data around those who identify as disabled whatsoever.

Quotas

The reality is that grasping the nettle on measures like quotas, better data, and tackling the culture within parties to offer support to a more diverse range of candidates will benefit us all.

Apart from 2003 in Wales, women have been underrepresented in every other previous parliament across the UK.

We know that having diverse and equal representation leads to better decision making.

Wales is a diverse country and studies show that political institutions with gender parity can be viewed as more legitimate, with their decisions seen to be fairer.

In short, those sitting in the Senedd Siambr should truly reflect the broad life experiences and perspectives of all people in Wales.

With this guidance published the responsibility is now squarely on political parties to step up and ensure Wales doesn’t squander its world-leading legacy when it comes to gender balance in its parliament.

They must take on this responsibility, commit to introducing these measures to ensure that equal representation is a basic requirement of our democracy rather than just another missed opportunity.