When: Thursday, March 23, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PMWhere: Maths Lecture Theatre, Mathematical Sciences Building, Mile End
As we look forward to the next election, join us to take stock and reflect on what more can be done to build a more gender-balanced democracy!
While there are currently 225 women in the House of Commons, an all-time high, women continue to be underrepresented in Parliament, local government, and public life as a whole. To rectify this, 50:50 Parliament has set an ambitious target to have 100 more women in Parliament by 2030.
As the UK's major political parties select their candidates for next year's general election, this panel discussion will take stock of their efforts and consider what more can be done to achieve a better, more gender-balanced democracy. In addition to drawing on ongoing research from Queen Mary's School of Politics and International Relations on the motivations and experiences of women political leaders, we will ask our panel to reflect on the actions and successes of leading pressure groups including 50:50 Parliament, the Conservative Party's Women2Win group, and the Labour Women's Network.
Chaired by Dr Javier Sajuria, we will be joined by Frances Scott (the founder of 50:50 Parliament), Professor Rainbow Murray, Kiran Mahil, and Emma Best AM to evaluate how much progress has been made in recent years and formulate strategies to rectify the historic underrepresentation of women in public life.
This event is open to all and will take place in the Maths Lecture Theatre in the Mathematical Sciences Building, which is number 4 on this map of Queen Mary's campus. It will start at 6pm and will be followed by a drinks and networking reception to which all are welcome.