A step towards equality: PR and women's representation

December 5, 2025

Blogs, Grassroots-cat

A step towards equality: PR and women’s representation

Over the past few hundred years, our society and democracy have developed and changed beyond recognition. However, our voting system has failed to keep pace. We believe that First Past the Post has no place in a modern democracy, and should be replaced by a system of Proportional Representation. If you agree, sign the petition. If you want to know why, read on:

Minority rule

The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it's the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we've had single-party 'majority' governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn't vote for and don't agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.

Proportional Representation means majority rule, not minority rule. With PR, any government must have a majority of votes behind it - so in order to govern, a party needs to either work collaboratively with other parties, or persuade most of us to vote for it.

Demand Real Democracy

The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.The idea of a minority ruling over the majority goes against our most basic ideas about democracy. But with First Past the Post, it’s the norm. For about 90% of the time since 1935 we’ve had single-party ‘majority’ governments, but not one of them had the support of a majority of voters. The Conservatives currently hold a majority of seats with just 43.6% of the votes. In the 2019 election they gained an extra 48 seats despite an increase of only 1.2% of the vote share. Almost since the first general election, politicians who most of us didn’t vote for and don’t agree with have had the power to govern the UK however they like.

By Marli, an English Literature graduate from Lancaster University and Young Make Votes Matter activist.

As a young woman, I can’t help but notice how many policy issues have a disproportionate impact on women: equal pay, reproductive rights, workplace support, maternal healthcare and much more.

Considering women make up half of the population, it can be particularly difficult to think that these issues are not always being handled by women, or even by an equal proportion of men and women.

Currently 40% of the House of Commons, and only 30% of the House of Lords, are women. This is the highest number of women in Parliament we’ve ever had. It’s taken us centuries to get here, and yet there’s still such a long way to go before we get equal representation in Westminster.

At the same time, the most powerful tool at our advantage, our votes, have no guarantee to make any difference, under the UK’s current system of First Past the Post. As a member of Young Make Votes Matter, I know I’m not the only person in my generation who feels this needs to change.

It may not be too surprising to learn that when everybody’s vote counts, the population is better represented, including significantly on gender-based issues.

PR and Better Gender Representation

The Inter-Parliamentary Union analyses find year after year that PR is consistently associated with a higher proportion of women being elected.

In 2024, plurality/majority systems such as FPTP, elected an average female share of only 22.4%. Meanwhile, chambers with PR or mixed electoral systems appointed the highest share of women on average, at 30.1%. If our share of women in Parliament is above the global average, this is despite – not because of – our archaic voting system.

If the UK were to switch to PR, that 8% difference could equal an additional 53 female MPs, bringing us much closer to equal representation in parliament.

Why is this?

It’s alright me saying that PR improves gender representation, but it’s hard to grasp this idea without understanding the reasons behind it.

There are various forms of PR, each with its own nuances and benefits. Under one of its most common forms, each district (constituency) is larger and elects several representatives instead of just one. That way, if a party gets 40% of the vote, they don’t automatically ‘win’. Instead, they receive 40% of the seats. Parties must nominate multiple candidates, and are therefore more likely to nominate women. The more women nominated, the more end up elected.

This also means that, if one of your local representatives happens to be a known misogynist or simply uninterested in women’s issues, you’ll have other MPs you can approach about your problems and concerns.

PR systems are also consistently associated with progressive policies such as gender quotas. Gender quotas mandate that parties must nominate a certain proportion of female candidates. In 2024, countries with no gender quota selected only 16.8% female MPs, whilst countries with gender quotas elected 31.2%. Countries using PR/mixed systems in 2022 were 6 times as likely to apply gender quotas than majority systems.

Outcomes

I would argue that more women in parliament is a worthy cause in itself, as a parliament that reflects the population will more accurately be able to represent it, particularly when addressing issues specific to typically underrepresented groups.

However, there are also measurable benefits of electing more women! Just a few of these include:

In countries where women comprise at least 30% of national legislature, the mortality rates for mothers and children fell faster, since female representatives will often afford more focus to social, welfare, and family issues.
A 10% point increase in women’s representation is associated with a 0.7% percentage in economic growth. This is likely because countries with more women in Parliament implement policies that support women in the workplace, such as paid family leave or accessible childcare. This increases workforce participation and productivity, fuelling the economy.
The IPU also found that female representatives are more likely to work collaboratively, both within and across parties. Meanwhile, FPTP incentivises a highly polarised and often toxic winner-takes-all political culture, which can have particular impacts on women and minority groups.
The same study also found that increased numbers of women in politics encourages women to contact their own representatives and participate more as citizens.

I can particularly relate to that last benefit, and hope that the numbers of inspiring female politicians in the public eye only continue throughout my lifetime.

Many progressive countries demonstrate this connection between PR, parliamentary gender representation and gender equality. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, Iceland closes about 93.5% of its gender gap, while Finland and Norway (87.5%) follow closely, with Sweden and New Zealand also in the global top five. The scores reflect women’s equality in many areas including education, health, economic participation, and social inclusion. All of these countries use proportional electoral systems, and in all five, women hold around 45% of parliamentary seats.

Conclusion

It’s a no-brainer for us to make sure that we are seeing the full benefits of equal gender representation in the UK!

At the same time, as young people’s disillusionment in politics grows, we need to ensure that this generation feels represented now. Not only does this increase immediate political engagement as citizens, but it may even inspire the next generation of female politicians and leaders.

Through introducing proportional representation, we can ensure that our parliament accurately reflects every person’s votes and concerns.

Blogs, Grassroots-cat

A step towards equality: PR and women’s representation

Minority rule

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