It was International Women’s Day on 8th March and – with the county council elections fast approaching – this got me thinking about women in politics.
Britain has made great strides in public representation but has a long way to go.
In Parliament now, 40% of MPs are female. Of the 263 women in the Commons, 193 represent Labour (46% of Labour MPs). But locally, just 25% of councillors in the borough of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk are women.
For a council to be truly effective, it should look like the people it serves, so this imbalance rankles.
Research shows that women in public office are often seen as collaborative, community focused and ethical, and their presence can shift how politics is experienced.
But why aren’t women coming forward locally and how can we encourage them? Speaking just for West Norfolk Labour, I know we would be welcome more women joining our ranks. But politicians can face harassment, and even threats and coordinated online pile-ons, with some targeted far more than others.
Female MPs get significantly more abuse than men, with black women in parliament receiving more abuse than any other group. LGBTQ+ MPs are also disproportionately targeted.
Across the political spectrum, women now describe harassment, threats and being followed as “part of the job”, with their families targeted too. This normalisation should concern anyone who cares about democracy.
Politicians across the board report self-censoring in debates to avoid triggering abuse. The result is quieter voices and a smaller, likely less diverse, pool of candidates.
More than a third of young women and girls surveyed by Girlguiding said they were put off certain careers – including politics – because of the abuse they see those women receive.
The rise of the “manosphere” is a worrying development, promoting the false narrative that feminism and gender equality have come at the cost of men’s rights.
And in a severely backward step, Reform UK has pledged to repeal the Equalities Act enacted in 2010 to try to ensure women and people of all races were treated equally.
I, too, was somewhat hesitant about putting myself out there. But I also knew that having more female representatives ensures women’s lives are properly reflected in policy. With this in mind, I have decided to stand in the upcoming county council elections.
Tackling political abuse requires system-wide action. Social media platforms must enforce their own rules to prevent online harms, deepfakes and misinformation. And political parties must set and uphold higher standards for members and candidates.
In good news, the Labour Government has taken the threat to candidates and politicians seriously and is to introduce greater protections.
And ahead of the May elections, new measures have been announced which mean police will be better equipped to protect candidates from intimidation and abuse.
To finish on a positive note, if anyone asked me if I would recommend standing for public office I would wholeheartedly say “yes”.
My time as a borough councillor has given me more than I ever imagined. I have grown in confidence and done things I never thought I could do. I have encountered amazing people and truly inspiring local groups and charities.
I hope that I have made a difference, even if it is in small ways.
I would actively encourage more women to get involved and there are great organisations that support women to get into politics at all levels, such as Elect Her and the Jo Cox Foundation.
We can’t change the system if we aren’t in it and we can’t tackle the issues that matter to women if we aren’t represented.
Debs Heneghan
Leader of the Labour Group