MNHQ here: 93% of mums say they would never consider standing for election

[RhiannonEMumsnet]

Hello

We thought you might be interested in the results of a survey we carried out recently which has been covered today in the I paper, and on LBC and Women's Hour.

We asked 1000+ Mumsnet users how they felt about getting involved in politics. 93% of the mums surveyed said they would never consider standing for election at any level - citing public scrutiny, misogyny and incompatibility with family life. Nearly 50% of the mums surveyed said they would rather 'give birth again without drugs' than get involved in politics in any way.

All this was despite a high level of interest in and knowledge of politics amongst those mums surveyed, with 88% saying they are interested in politics and 98% saying they vote in all or most general elections.

Mumsnet users also strongly felt politics should be more representative. 83% agreed that there should be more diverse representation among political figures, and 79% of those surveyed agreed more female representation at top levels of government would have meant women’s needs were taken into account during the pandemic.

You can find out more here. We plan to use this research to push for change that will make politics more accessible for mums - so do let us know what you think!

Thanks
MNHQ

I suppose my first thought is how do these stats compare to dads, or women of the same age who aren't mums, men of the same age, or to the general population?

@TheSpottedZebra

I suppose my first thought is how do these stats compare to dads, or women of the same age who aren't mums, men of the same age, or to the general population?

Yes I'd like to know this too. Standing for election is a very demanding process, it's not for everyone.

Also I didn't have drugs for childbirth so that's not a good analogy