Women and the political parties

The political parties act as the gatekeepers to political office. Women’s presence in the parties is important because it determines their access to local and national assemblies: if women are to be present in sites of decision-making, they need to be present in the parties. However, membership alone does not suffice. The party also needs to select women as candidates and to promote them within its internal structures. This chapter will look at women’s membership and their presence at each level of the party hierarchy. It will consider party policy towards the promotion of women in politics, within and outside the party hierarchy, including candidate selection; party policy towards women’s rights; and each party’s attempts to win women’s votes.