Where are all the women in the cabinet?

[fruitstick]

I'll try again with a completed thread title this time!

Given that this was supposed to be the Mumsnet election, is there any hope that there might be one, just one woman in the cabinet?

Although Samantha Cameron looked lovely in her maternity wear and heels, I was hoping for slightly more representation than that.

Despite Labour's faults, at least they had women in important and influential positions, not just window dressing.

Oh no Sakura, I'm not saying that it's not to do with working culture. One of the issues that my company found was that the perception was very different from the reality.

For example, the high paid area had some long hours but it wasn't consistent and there was no travel time as all the work was London based. The low pay department had relatively easy hours but involved frequent travel out of London so the reality was just as much time was spent at work or getting to work.

Also explaining the long term pay to women made them think about their options. Women do value money when the difference is spelt out to them.

Women were also concerned about working in a male dominated environment so it became self fufilling.

I was one of the women who went to work in the previously male dominated department. I wouldn't say it was easy but it wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought it might be. There is still discrimination but it is changing more women enter the area.

It should be parents childcare responsibilities. Seems that being a politician doesn't put an unacceptable strain on men's childcare responsibilities. (Or maybe they don't have as much responsibility for their children.)

Yes, I think you're right about the fact that more women should try to enter politics. There's no reason why more middle-aged women whose children are older can't enter and try to get things moving in there, make the culture more feminized.

Yes, men don't have the child-care responsiblities that men have, and never will. They don't get pregnant, they don't have time off with their newborns while they breastfeed. They are more likely to abandon a family home than the mother is. Men don't have as many responsibilities by far. And they take advantage of that by having created a culture in politics that far more is suitable for someone without those responsibilities.
That's the real reason why women are underrepresented in politics.

that women have

Sakura, for very young babies I can see what you're saying but surely for school age children both parents can and should take equal responsibility.

Also I think women need to be sold the pros of being an MP more. No one ever says, well you get the long summer recess which is good for spending time with the kids over their summer holidays, I tend not to turn up at Westminister to vote unless it's a three line whip and I converted the front room of my constituency home to be my constituency office to reduce my commute. If women saw it that way (and many men already do) I'm sure they'd be a lot more tempted.

"both parents can and should take equal responsibility."

True, but we are a long long way off from a culture where both men and women can work part time in every single industry in order for one of them to take over half the child-rearing (we're talking about in a 100 years or so here). And what about all the single mothers who don't have or don't want the father near their children. What about them? Who is going to take half the responsibility off them?

Then you have that old chestnut about women who took time off not having the experience as a man who didn't take time off for pregnancy and child-rearing.
So the whole culture has to change.

Re the experience arguement, with MPs, we're actively looking for people with all kinds of experience. Being an MP is still more often than not a 2nd career. Given that if anyone says being a parent isn't experience, they don't really have a leg to stand on.

Yes, I agree with that. I think that women, well mothers to be exact have a huge amount of life experience and valuable insight into how society could be run better. Look at the mumsnet campaigns.
This knowledge is completely under-estimated and over-looked because of all the dick-swinging that goes on in politics.

A mother has been through the medical system for example, whereas a father has not, so she has a better idea of what is needed in hospitals based on her own first hand experience.

Interesting point, there minthumbug. Yes, men and women are held to completely different codes of behaviour, especially in parenting, sex, violence...err, need I go on

How many of the mums on this thread complaining about not being represented in Parliament are going to put their names forward as an MP candidate in May 2015?

Long hours culture, childcare responsibilities and politics being a very male dominated environment puts so many women off.

I see there are a good few labour women MP's which is encouraging though.

I am ashamed though that things have not improved enough for half the population to be properly represented. A fairer cabinet would be made up of equal numbers of men and women to reflect out population.

But we are not there are we? If women stop having children then perhaps we might get in!

What has happened since the 80s when we had Thatcher to so devalue women that we appear to have less of a voice as time goes on, rather than more?

It's a national disgrace and we need a new feminism to change the last 20 years of media and societial sexism.

Overall, I think motherhood is really the biggest fact that prevents women from entering politics.

If we had a better, more affordable childcare system, more family and cultural support for mothers, fathers being made to take financial and parental responsibility for their children, then women might be less burdened to enter the sphere.

Also, if politics were taught in all schools, as I think it should be so that everyone understands the basics, then young women might be more interested in having a say. If teenagers were more aware of how politics affects them, they would engage with the issues.

On of the reasons why Eton is so successful at getting men into parliament is that they encourage their pupils to take an interest in politics (debating societies, rota of visiting speakers etc). Simple things really do make a difference.

Caroline Spelman has also got a post.

I have to say that, although I think it is shocking that there is only one woman in the cabinet, I am really disappointed that Dominic Grieve did not get Home Secretary. A nice, clever man who really believes in civil liberties.

Also, what does it say about the role that Theresa May is also minister for women and equality - tagging that onto one of the toughest jobs in Cabinet as an afterthought, and giving it to someone who voted against repealing section 28, against gay adoption,against lowering the age of consent for homosexuals to 16 and against the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, does not sound like equality is really in the forefront of their minds.

Lynne Featherstone or Sarah Teather should take on this role. May is not the right person to promote equality.

I vote that we all write to Theresa May and express our desires to see the Tory and Lib Dem manifesto commitments enacted. It's all to easy to forget when you've got the Home Office to run.

For reference here they are

Lib Dems

Tories

That's manifesto commitments on equality of course.

And just in case you didn't think the Tories hadn't put enough effort into their proposals, they actually have a much bigger document as well.

the Tory Contract for Equalities

'There have been more women qualifying as solicitors since I qualified nearly 20 years ago. That fact has had next to no impact on the number of senior partners who are female. I can't remember the figure but is something less than 10%'

I hear you Mollie. It is around 10%.

Fruitstick. Women can be a pain in the arse, and opinionated, don't you think?

OP I'm guessing your a feminist.

Are you saying that the government should employ more women to please the likes of you?

Personally I would like a government full of qualified people, who can do the job and do their best for our country - regardless of gender.

I'm damn sure David Cameron and Nick Clegg chose the best people for the jobs. The sex of the persons wouldn't for a minute come into things.

It's only taken in to account by women like yourself who want to prove a point and further their own cause.

Why do you need more women in the government?

MrsRigby, totally agree with you. Only the best people should be chosen for any job, let alone one as important as running the country.

I'm constantly surprised that some people continue to insist that women are just as capable as men, just as intelligent and just as hard working, when clearly they are not. If they were, there'd be more of them as ministers of state.

You'd think that after all these years when women have been given all the same opportunities in life and so few have made it into government, people would have finally realised that women are just plain stupid and the reason they aren't holding the senior posts because they are all totally crap.

what is wrong with a coalition? After the election people tend to work together fine, see Obama/Clinton, Angela Merkel/Guido Westerwelle. I just feel sorry that Nick Clegg did not get as many votes as he would have deserved as the papers (and all the estimates beforehand) were so over the top and people started to 'vote tactically'.

Ah, you too happysmiley.

I just want to add that I'm happy the conservatives are back in power.

I really like David Cameron and Nick Clegg.