50:50 Parliament is a small but impactful organisation that champions and campaigns for equal representation in Parliament and on all elected bodies throughout the UK. They inspire and support women to stand for elected office while also raising awareness of the gender imbalance, why it's a critical issue, and why equal representation is important.
Despite its size, 50:50 is well known within Westminster and beyond, and has good relationships with all the main parties, enabling them to work as a critical friend to hold parties to account.
"We have broad support, not only because those in power agree that representation is important, equality is important, but also because women MPs want to put the ladder back down for women coming after them," said Lyanne Nicholl, CEO of 50:50 Parliament.
“Sometimes people assume that we are political, but we’re apolitical and don’t have any party allegiance. What’s important for us is to increase the number of diverse, talented women throughout the system.”
50:50 event in Parliament. Photo by Jennifer Stazaker.
The barriers that women may face in standing for election
Women aspiring to elected office often encounter significant hurdles. This can range from gatekeeping at selections, to financial and care-giving issues which impede campaigning and the abuse and harassment which is now synonymous with public life. Many women have shared that their first experience with local political parties or associations was negative, which discouraged them from pursuing candidacy before they even began. To counter this, 50:50 is working to ensure that senior leaders are briefed on how Parties can be more inclusive towards women, also recognising that traditional campaigning methods may exclude women with caregiving responsibilities and lower incomes.
50:50 is also working to ensure that women are aware of what safety procedures or policies are in place.
50:50 keeps track of the data, keeping a running tally of the number of women candidates selected by each Party every election. They also do future modelling, to see whether numbers are likely to increase, stagnate or drop. The current trend is heading in the wrong direction.
Highlights from 2024
In 2024, 50:50 kicked off their roundtable discussions between women candidates from past selection cycles and party stakeholders, with a cross-party discussion with the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities. These roundtables, where women can share their experiences and shape future election cycles, will continue in 2025.
50:50 also launched the Reset Report, in partnership with Compassion in Politics. Based on a survey of MPs leaving parliament, as well as interviews, the report highlights parliamentary working practices that negatively impact politicians' mental health and alienate the public. Recommendations include reviewing flexible and inclusive working best practices from other parliaments and organisations, creating zero tolerance of harassment and bullying, promoting respectful debate, and reviewing the impact on family life and mental health.
Additionally, 2024 saw the Amplifying Muted Voices programme, a series of events run by 50:50 intended to empower underrepresented Black, Asian and minority ethnic female change makers. The events took place across the north of England, expanding their political support system for women.
Although they have a broadly positive reception, 50:50 still faces some pushback.
“We sometimes hear that the work on this issue has been done, which can be quite disheartening. 40% of those in parliament are now women, which is great progress, but there is always the risk of regression. There is no guarantee that this trajectory will continue; in fact, our modelling shows that we may go backwards for the first time in 106 years at the next election - we have to keep doing the work to prevent that,” said Lyanne. “There is also the backlash against feminism, the rise of the manosphere and the overturning of DEI initiatives, but we feel that it is not controversial to want equal numbers of women and men in decision-making spaces. And we will continue to push for Equal Seats for an Equal Say”
Despite this, 50:50’s support has helped to achieve great progress – 101 women from the 50:50 community stood for election in 2024, with 25 winning their seats, which played a part in the significant increase in female MPs.
50:50 #AskHerToStand event. Photo by David Miko.
Looking ahead
50:50 Parliament has a busy 2025 planned to support women in politics. They’re holding further cross-party sessions, focusing on topics such as the progress made on women’s safety and changes to the culture in Parliament. 50:50 is keen to promote the positive advances being made in Parliament, to encourage more women to run for office.
Their popular "Bite Size" sessions have evolved into "Pathways," a six-part foundation course tailored for women interested in standing with any of the three main political parties. Expert facilitators from each party will lead these new sessions.
Later this year, they aim to host a session on how to stand as an independent candidate, responding to the increasing interest from women who want to learn more about this path.
50:50 is continuing work on influencing much-needed change in the candidate selection processes - with the overall number of women candidates dropping to 30%, there is work to be done on ensuring these processes are accessible, transparent and fit-for-purpose.
They hope that their annual #AskHerToStand campaign will be bigger than ever this year, attracting more women to sign up to stand for election with 50:50; with four years until the next election, this is the perfect time to get women started on their political journey.
To get the latest updates from 50:50 Parliament and get involved in their projects, you can visit their website or join their mailing list.