women in politics A woman’s place is in the house


Professor Sarah Childs’ research within the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies looks at the changing number of female Members of Parliament over the past 15 years. This research also studies whether these women MPs have made a difference in terms of what is debated and how new laws pass through the legislative chambers.


“IN THE PAST 15 years the issue of underrepresentation of women in British politics has been put on the agenda to such an extent that it is now something over which the parties compete,” says Professor Childs. “John Major’s first cabinet didn’t have any women in it, for example, but there’s just no way there could be a


20 funding the arts encouraging a creative spark


With the largest creative sector in Europe, relative to national income, the UK certainly has plenty to be proud of. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport estimates that a million and a half people – or just over five per cent of the UK’s labour force – are directly or indirectly employed in the creative industries. And, with these industries accounting for over 10 per cent of the UK’s exports, it’s clear that people outside the UK are impressed with our creativity.


BUT EVEN WITH an enviable pedigree in everything from music to fashion, film making to computer games, funding for the arts sector, including investment through young people and research at the nation’s universities, has taken a knock in recent years. Te study of the many creative subjects that fall under the heading of arts and


humanities remains as important as ever when it comes to the transferable skills that these subjects offer. Tese include, among many others, critical analysis, independent and intercultural thinking, self-management, presentation of arguments and teamwork, many of the personal attributes employers are looking for in a knowledge-based and increasingly globalised economy such as the UK’s. In these tough times, the arts and


humanities are increasingly opening up to the public, so as to remind us all of their importance not just to our economic health and social development, but also to our day-to-day lives and cultural identities. Bristol is a city well


known for its creative output, with about 9,000 of the population employed in the creative industries. Household names include the multiple Oscar-


bristol.ac.uk


winning Aardman Animation, the BBC’s Natural History Unit, the Bristol Old Vic and the graphic artist Banksy. In 2011, the city’s contribution to the


arts included InsideArts, which celebrated some of the exceptional work done by both staff and students at the University. Dr Bradley Stephens from the


University’s School of Modern Languages, who led the organisation of the festival, said: “Te week was abuzz with a wide range of events – all free and all open to the public. Tere were many examples of the diverse and outstanding work of the Faculty of Arts on offer. “Students were central


to the momentum of this festival, channelling their enthusiasm for their subjects and activities


at every stage, and having the chance to get involved in public engagement first-hand.”


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womanless cabinet from now on.” When 120 women were elected to the


House of Commons in 1997, it seemed that Labour’s policy of having all-woman shortlists (that is, only women could stand for that seat), had finally made a substantial inroad into the male dominated status quo. But at the 2010 election, 13 years after ‘Blair’s babes’, only 22 per cent of MPs were


MORE INFO The UK’s Parliament is currently 49th in world rankings when it comes to equal representation for women and men. In the 2010 general election Labour and Conservative, but not the LibDems, selected more women candidates compared to 2005.


women, just a four per cent increase on that record year. “Te 2010 general election should have


been a critical one for women. All the main parties were competing for women’s votes and over ‘women’s issues’, and their leaders were all publicly committed to increasing women’s parliamentary representation. But it was a missed opportunity. Te coalition negotiations that followed the Conservatives failing to win a majority of the vote witnessed all male teams of Conservative and LibDem MPs determining the future government of the UK.”


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Photos: Alamy, Kobal, Getty


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