Thank you to Andrea Carey Fuller, the 50:50 coordinator for the Green Party.
50:50 is the campaign to get Parliament filled with at least 50% women MP's. Andrea is working hard to get green party women on board, so please support her and this cause.
50:50 Parliament's Mission
To achieve an inclusive gender-balanced parliament, that draws upon the widest possible pools of talent, including men and women equally, incorporating their full range of diversity and experience.
50:50 Parliament drives this mission by encouraging, inspiring and supporting political engagement, particularly from women. In addition, 50:50 Parliament lobbies Parliament and the political parties to be more inclusive of women.
Campaign History
50:50 Parliament was founded in November 2013 by Frances Scott. At that point men outnumbered women 3:1 in Parliament. The institution did not look representative or inclusive; it was lacking women’s experience and talent. Frances felt that this needed to be addressed and started the 50:50 petition at change.org/5050Parliament. This called upon Parliament and political party leaders to do something to ensure a better gender balance at Westminster.
Now over 52,000 people have signed the petition. All the main political parties agree that a gender balanced Parliament consisting of around 50% men and 50% women would be more representative and better informed. Since then, The Women and Equalities Select Committee has been set up, and more recently The Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion has been created to examine working practices to ensure that they become more accessible.
50:50 launched the #AskHerToStand campaign in November 2016 and succeeded in inspiring and encouraging women to stand for election and gain seats in Parliament during the 2017 election. This campaign will continue until we have gender balance at Westminster.