Gender and the Experiences of Local Elected Members: A Focus on Wales

Catherine Farrell; Sarah Titcombe

doi:10.1080/03003930.2016.1207629

Gender and the Experiences of Local Elected Members: A Focus on Wales

Catherine Farrell, Sarah Titcombe

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Abstract

This article explores issue of gender in relation to the experiences of local elected members. Member experiences are important as this may be one of the factors which lie behind the under-representation of women in political life at all levels. This article is focused on Wales where women make up 26% of local councillors, hold only 20% of cabinet positions and occupy one Leader
position. This article reports on the views of male and female councillors from a number of Welsh authorities who, when interviewed, identified very different experiences of elected office. Central to their experiences are their routes into office, personal circumstances and societal influences. The existence of a
dominant male political culture is evident and this may have an impact on the participation of women in local political life

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	867-884
Journal	Local Government Studies
Volume	42
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2016.1207629
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2016

Keywords

Gender
local government
Women
Elected Members

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10.1080/03003930.2016.1207629Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Gender and the Experiences of Local Councillors 20 06 16Accepted author manuscript, 59 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Gender and the Experiences of Local Elected Members: A Focus on Wales",

abstract = "This article explores issue of gender in relation to the experiences of local elected members. Member experiences are important as this may be one of the factors which lie behind the under-representation of women in political life at all levels. This article is focused on Wales where women make up 26% of local councillors, hold only 20% of cabinet positions and occupy one Leaderposition. This article reports on the views of male and female councillors from a number of Welsh authorities who, when interviewed, identified very different experiences of elected office. Central to their experiences are their routes into office, personal circumstances and societal influences. The existence of adominant male political culture is evident and this may have an impact on the participation of women in local political life",

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author = "Catherine Farrell and Sarah Titcombe",

note = "- this was accepted before the institution had a full CRIS/Repository (from Nov 2016) Catherine Farrell is a professor of public management at the University of South Wales and her research interests are in governance, the changing roles of professionals in public services and the participation of women in public life. She is currently researching different models of public board governance, including the stakeholder and skill-based approaches in a range of services. She has published in journals including Public Administration, Policy and Politics, Public Policy and Administration, Human Relations and Industrial Relations. Sarah Titcombe is the Policy and Improvement Officer for Democratic Services at the Welsh Local Government Association. She has worked in local government for over 30 years in England and Wales. Currently she works with all the local authorities in Wales supporting elected members and the officers who work with them. Her main areas of work are councillor roles, competencies and development, and democratic services policy. Her interests include councillor coaching and gender inequalities in local politics",

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AB - This article explores issue of gender in relation to the experiences of local elected members. Member experiences are important as this may be one of the factors which lie behind the under-representation of women in political life at all levels. This article is focused on Wales where women make up 26% of local councillors, hold only 20% of cabinet positions and occupy one Leaderposition. This article reports on the views of male and female councillors from a number of Welsh authorities who, when interviewed, identified very different experiences of elected office. Central to their experiences are their routes into office, personal circumstances and societal influences. The existence of adominant male political culture is evident and this may have an impact on the participation of women in local political life

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Gender and the Experiences of Local Elected Members: A Focus on Wales

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Keywords

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