Conservatives - gender equality

I didn't but am curious - were the labour ladies there to emphasise their existence or are they always on the front bench? I'm not sure how effective quotas are - I'd like to think that the right person will be chosen for the job and would rather have a man if he is the better candidate than a woman who is there simply to make up the numbers. I'd've thought to do that undermines women anyway... what do others think?

I often think it's a case of having to be in it to be able to demonstrate what women can achieve, and if that occasionally means quotas, so be it. So much mitigates against gender equality that even the best women don't get a look in when it's down to the men to stop elbowing their way into the top jobs, and it's known that many women who would do a great job aren't so ambitious as to do the elbowing themselves.

There are about 30 members of the coalition cabinet and only 5 women. One of them is Baroness Warsi who has not actually got a job. Quotas or no quotas this is a scandal.

Point in question is that female MP who has been de-selected by what seems like a personal vendetta by an obnoxious local party chairman. She had the backing of DC, apparently, but that didn't help her! Poor woman, I've forgotten her name...

I think the women on the labour front bench were specially placed there by Miliband to emphasise his point.
The absence of women is the men's loss - the different style of women's thinking is essential to making balanced decisions. Both styles are needed.

Recalling Cammeron told a female MP to 'calm down dear' is it any surprise he has appointed so few women to the cabinet.

They were not, Tricia. I watch it quite often, and there are always labour women on the front bench. Harriet Harman is the deputy.
Labour has 30% female MPs.

Unfortunately the loss of women is not the men's loss alone. I think that the absence of women in political office and in senior positions in business and public service particularly impacts upon women. They represent around half the population and yet policies that specifically affect them are largely decided upon by men.

And why is it overwhelmingly the case that a man is "the right person for the job" and a woman isn't?

Strange isn't it Eleothan. Nothing to do with the fact that men who have grown up in a predominantly male environment like public school continue to feel more comfortable when surrounded by other men.

Things do change though - when working I was at first (1968) the only woman beside 8 men, and after 25 years or so there were 7 women and 3 men.
I believe the numbers of women going into medicine and law are starting to outnumber men too.
So perhaps eventually the same might happen in business and politics.
I think there should be a Pensioner's party, where probably numbers of women would at least equal that of men.

Would you actually want the Warsi Woman to have a job in government? I wouldn't.

Tricia F

I agree with your post.

Today on Daily Politics Labour MP Emily Thornbury admitted, with a grin on her face, that whilst the women on the front benches were all in the Cabinet, they 'may have moved them around a bit and put them altogether'.

Poor old Balls and Jim Murphy were practically squashed to a pulp.

It's interesting that the media keep harking on about 3 female Conservative MP's standing down at the next election, and of course the obligatory Louise Menche story. They never mention there are 8 female Labour MP's standing down also. That's spin for you though isn't it.

Bit of a soft target on this issue. Poor old Dave. Ambushed with his pants down. It used to be the case that the majority of women voted Tory but in recent years that has shifted and now more vote Labour.

That is interesting Jess , how do you know ?

Its in da news today nonu because Mumsnet commissioned Mori to do a survey
quote from Telegraph this week:

The Tories are currently trailing Labour among female voters by 13 points, three times the average lead among men
Among women under 35 the Conservatives are behind by as much as 25 points.
But Labour's dominant position among female voters, spans all age groups, social classes and professional backgrounds with even women in the highest income bracket more likely to vote for Ed Miliband's party.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10311014/Women-voters-desert-Conservatives-after-child-benefit-and-childcare-debacles.html

A very well timed tactical move Ed, so that the photos of the two front benches hit the press as this is hot news. Bit late now for Dave to start sacking his ministers - his has been one of the leasts reshuffled governments that I can remember. But his election team will be panicking. What to do? what to do? I've got a great idea. Sack Gove. Suspect though that DC would rather keep Gove busy causing chaos in education rather than have him on the back benches plotting Dave's overthrow.
Dave lost all women's vote credibility for me when poor old Sam, 8 months pregnant, had to go to Cornwall to demonstrate that they were having a nice traditional seaside holiday and went into labour early, far away from the hospital where she was booked. (What was wrong with Chequers - small palace in the Cotswolds, just a stones throw from London?)
And then he, supposedly on "paternity leave", did not go into the office, oh no. Instead he invited the press around to his kitchen to see him having a large meeting there. What?. Can you imagine how pissed off you would be if you has a SIL who did that the week after one's DD had given birth?

Thanks for the info , jess .

Pleasure nonu and interesting, as you say.

I think that when people keep linking the need for "family-friendly working conditions" with the issue of attracting more women to senior positions, they are reinforcing the idea that it is primarily women who should be responsible for family matters.

I realise that in reality when family emergencies arise it is largely women who take a day off work, leave early, etc. etc. - and this may largely be due to the fact that they often earn less than their partners.

However, men have families too and until the issue of "family-friendly working conditions" are presented as an opportunity for both parents to share the responsibility of responding to the needs of their children, women will continue to play "second fiddle" in the employment market, thus earning less and perpetuating the inequality of opportunity which currently exists.