9 AUGUST 2016

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The Women and Equalities Select Committee are launching an inquiry to insure women are not disadvantaged as the political map of the UK is redrawn, from 650 constituencies to 600. The upcoming review of the boundaries will see MPs competing for seats that are being merged.

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, said: “Fawcett welcomes the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s timely inquiry into women’s parliamentary representation, and will be submitting evidence to the Committee. We share the Committee’s concern that there is a real risk we could go backwards as a result of the Boundary Commission review.

Fawcett will be writing to all the party leaders inviting them, as a minimum, to commit to maintaining the current rate of progress on women’s representation in Parliament. In 2016 a 50:50 parliament should be a reality not an distant dream.”

Read the full story on the Guardian website here.

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On the 10th January 2017 the Fawcett Society submitted evidence on the to the Women and Equalities Committee's Inquiry into women’s representation in the House of Commons.

A briefing document on the evidence can be found here: Women’s representation in the House of Commons