I blogged previously about the importance of having more women actively involved in politics – that is, actively involved in the processes which take so many decisions that hugely impact on all our lives.

And yet – sit down and read the rulebooks and you’ll see that women have as equal a right to vote as men, an equal right to stand for office, and so on. Despite this, the outcomes of our electoral systems are pretty consistently to produce groups of elected public officials who are overwhelmingly men – especially in Parliament.

Why? What are the barriers that women face to entering and contributing to Parliament? Well – there are obviously issues such as those around affordable, flexible childcare; a problem that many women face when juggling a career and their family, not just MPs. (Yes, it’s an issue that men face too, but disproportionately the care burdens fall on women – and so have much more of an impact on their careers).

Parliament and politics in general is still seen as a “man’s game” with the contribution of women often sidelined. It is sadly still the case in politics as it is in so many areas of life for women, that it’s all about what a woman wears, or indeed doesn’t wear, rather than what comes out of her mouth. For example when Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, gave her first statement in the House of Commons about the terror attacks on Glasgow Airport, some in the media seemed to be far more concerned with how much cleavage she was showing, instead of what she actually had to say.

I wear a suit whenever I’m in Parliament as I don’t want people to comment, I want people to respect me as an MP and listen to what I have to say however I should be able to wear what I want, and what I wear should have no effect on how I am received either in Parliament or in the media, yet the dominance of men means that sadly something that a woman always has to be conscious of.

Sure – I raise a smile when there’s the Valentine’s Day list of sexiest MPs in Parliament – but that’s a self-identified bit of fun for a moment – and one that picks on both men and women.

Men and women do frequently approach issues and think through them in different ways. That diversity should be a strength to be cherished rather than – as our political system often seems to view it – something to be squeezed out.

In some cases all-women shortlists have resulted in more women being elected to Parliament. However they can be seen as a short-term solution to a very substantial problem – in that they don’t resolve the fundamental obstacles that women face when trying to enter public office. Indeed, it could be that the number of women in Parliament will decline in the next election due to this artificial increase in number created by the use of these shortlists in the last general election.

I feel that the real long-term solution to the inequality we see within politics is to challenge women’s inequality in all areas of society – in the workplace, in the education system, and so on, in order to ensure that women are seen as – and see themselves as – equals in all aspects of life.

It is not just in Parliament and politics where women face inequality: 96% of executive directors in the U.K.’s top 100 companies are men; 30,000 women a year lose their job just because they become pregnant; and women working full time still earn on average 17% less than men. We have had the Equal Pay Act for forty years and still the pay gap is glaringly evident – 140,000 cases are in line, waiting for adjudication at a tribunal. It isn’t working. (Though do you notice how this huge backlog isn’t a matter of political scandal? That says something to me very telling about the priorities of our political system.)

But there also needs to be a discussion about men’s place in society. I’m sure many women would be supportive of a man that wanted to be a stay at home father or would just like to share the parenting role 50-50. However it would be difficult to find organisations and businesses that feel the same way.

Legislation needs to enable men to take on an equal share of parental duties; this is why the Lib Dems have proposed transferable maternity leave and for businesses to allow more flexible working hours for both parents.

In the immediate future, though, power is in the hands of women who want to get in to politics and want to get elected to help change things – whether it’s about empowering using their voice in their own lives and communities, becoming a local councillor – a great and local way to start on a political path – or aiming for Parliament, an Assembly or another position in public life.
I often say to women groups that I speak to – remember the planning. If a woman wants a career as an architect or a doctor – and she wants marriage and children – she plans her timing over a ten year period. I say to women – it is the same for politics – plan and act with a horizon measured in years. And have fun along the way!