Lack of women and minority groups in parliament needs to be tackled, MPs warn

The underrepresentation of women and minority groups in parliament must be tackled, MPs have warned.

A report, carried out by the Women and Equalities Committee, said the government must introduce measures to ensure a “generation of women in politics” is not lost.

The study found a meagre 6 per cent of all 650 MPs sitting in the House of Commons are women from minority ethnic backgrounds. Meanwhile, only around a third of all MPs are women – with researchers noting this is a smaller proportion of female MPs than comparable European nations.

Caroline Nokes, who is chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, noted the job of MPs is ultimately to represent their constituents, adding that racial and gender inequalities mean “at present, we simply don’t”.

The MP for Romsey and Southampton North added: “It is within our power to improve this. Part of encouraging women into any profession is making that workspace inclusive.

“Women are disproportionately carers in society; catering to the needs of parents and other caregivers is an easy win for the House of Commons and a journey upon which they have already embarked. But they must go further and faster.

“The most glaring problem is the shocking abuse and misogyny which all women in politics, and especially minority ethnic women, suffer. This must not become an accepted part of the job. Viscous abuse, including rape and death threats, is totally unacceptable.”

Ms Nokes called for measures to be rolled out to safeguard female MPs and political candidates, warning women could be put off pursuing political careers if this issue is not addressed.

The report argues “vicious misogynistic abuse must not be accepted as an inevitable fact of a woman's life in politics,” and draws attention to the fact harassment leads to the “poorer retention rate of female MPs” in comparison to male politicians.

Cross-party MPs involved in the report urged the government to introduce section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, which would force respective political parties to reveal the ethnic and gender diversity of parliamentary candidates.

Ministers were also asked to use the Online Safety Bill to bolster “sanctions” against individuals who threaten or abuse female politicians on social media.

It comes after a recent study found about seven in 10 women say they would not become a politician because of fears of facing abuse or harassment in the role.

The research conducted by the Fawcett Society, a leading gender equality charity, discovered almost six in 10 women think sexism in local politics is a barrier to pursuing a political career.

Seven in 10 said problems juggling work as an MP or councillor with other responsibilities in their lives would be an obstacle, and six in 10 said a lack of confidence to offer themselves up held them back.