Scotland can have fair representation:
Fair and diverse representation in public life is a matter of democracy and leads to better outcomes for everyone. But men are over-represented across all areas of public life in Scotland. At the time of writing, men make up 76% of local councillors, 63% of MSPs and 79% of public board chairs in Scotland. Representation for diverse groups of women and trans and non-binary people is vital to ensure that different perspectives and experiences are brought to decision-making tables that impact on all of our lives. We will encourage measures to increase the participation of all groups that are underrepresented in politics and public life.
- Political representation. Green MSPs will lend full support to the One in Five campaign, which works to encourage, empower and increase political representation amongst disable people in Scotland, and the Women 50:50 campaign, which is calling for legislative gender quotas for the Scottish Parliament, local government and public boards. We believe that an intersectional approach to achieving diverse political representation is vital – we need disabled women, minority ethnic women, people of all gender minorities, younger and older women around our decision-making tables. We will back measures that support this goal.
- Gender quotas on public boards. The power to introduce gender quotas for public sector boards will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament over the next parliamentary term. At present only 36% of public board places are held by women and evidence from abroad shows that women’s representation tends to stagnate at around this level without binding, mandated intervention. Green MSPs will support the introduction of 50% quotas for women on public boards.