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| How does Scotland's equal gender cabinet compare with its UK equivalent? | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| As well as getting its first female leader, the Scottish government now has a cabinet on which both genders are equally represented. | As well as getting its first female leader, the Scottish government now has a cabinet on which both genders are equally represented. |
| First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her cabinet was: | First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her cabinet was: |
| A clear demonstration that this government will work hard in all areas to promote women, to create gender equality and it sends out a strong message that the business of redressing the gender balance in public life starts right here in government | A clear demonstration that this government will work hard in all areas to promote women, to create gender equality and it sends out a strong message that the business of redressing the gender balance in public life starts right here in government |
| It certainly contrasts with the headlines bemoaning the poor gender split on the UK’s cabinet whenever there is a reshuffle. As the chart below shows Westminster has quite a way to go to catch up. | It certainly contrasts with the headlines bemoaning the poor gender split on the UK’s cabinet whenever there is a reshuffle. As the chart below shows Westminster has quite a way to go to catch up. |
| There are five female ministers in both the UK and Scottish cabinets but 17 men in Westminster compared to just five in Holyrood. | There are five female ministers in both the UK and Scottish cabinets but 17 men in Westminster compared to just five in Holyrood. |
| This discrepancy has not always been so severe though. Former first minister Alex Salmond presided over several cabinets with gender splits that were nothing to boast about. | This discrepancy has not always been so severe though. Former first minister Alex Salmond presided over several cabinets with gender splits that were nothing to boast about. |
| The December 2009 reshuffle led to a cabinet of six ministers, five of which (83%) were men. It was only in the April 2014 reshuffle, a few months ahead of the independence referendum, that significant strides were made towards gender equality. | The December 2009 reshuffle led to a cabinet of six ministers, five of which (83%) were men. It was only in the April 2014 reshuffle, a few months ahead of the independence referendum, that significant strides were made towards gender equality. |
| The cabinet is only one part of political machinery, it is also worth looking at the representation across the entire parliament. The Westminster chamber is 22.6% female, which puts the UK someway below the EU average for gender representation. | The cabinet is only one part of political machinery, it is also worth looking at the representation across the entire parliament. The Westminster chamber is 22.6% female, which puts the UK someway below the EU average for gender representation. |
| How does the Scottish parliament compare? | How does the Scottish parliament compare? |
| You can see from the chart above that the Scottish parliament, which is just over a third female, has better gender representation than most countries in the EU. | You can see from the chart above that the Scottish parliament, which is just over a third female, has better gender representation than most countries in the EU. |
| It still lies behind some of the major economies such as Germany (36.5%) and Spain (38.7%), as well as the Nordic ones where around 40% - way above the EU average - of parliamentarians are women. | It still lies behind some of the major economies such as Germany (36.5%) and Spain (38.7%), as well as the Nordic ones where around 40% - way above the EU average - of parliamentarians are women. |