ON INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day, calls have been made for there to be more female representation in local authorities.

Figures show that just a quarter of Cumbria's councillors were female in 2021, as equality campaigners urge more women to stand for election ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.

At Cumbria County Council, 22 of 83 councillors in 2021 were female – at 27 per cent, a larger proportion than was recorded five years ago, when 19 of 84 councillors were women.

Frances Scott, founder of the 50:50 Parliament campaign group, said women have been consistently outnumbered in political systems nationally and called for more to be done to boost the number of female politicians and ensure their voices are heard.

She said: "Women's experiences of local transport, of education, of juggling a career and parenting, of violence, of healthcare and maternity services are simply not properly represented and society is losing out.

“We need to support women to stand for elected office so that our local governments and Parliament can draw upon the widest possible pool of talent and the 32 million women who live and work in the UK can have an equal share of voice."

The Government is expected to respond soon to the findings of a call for evidence conducted in response to calls from councils to retain remote or hybrid meetings post-pandemic.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the Government recognised the importance of gender equality and urged councils to do more to attract a diverse range of candidates.

Speaking about her time as a Councillor, Deborah Earl, who represents Harraby South said: "I have been a County Councillor since 2013 and in that time, women have been underrepresented although it is getting slightly better.

“I think it's really important that we have female representation in politics, especially local government and women's voices are heard. I got involved to make a difference and help people.

“I would encourage everyone to use their vote but in particular younger women as their perspectives on life are vital and I'm not sure everyone realises how much the decisions taken by politicians affect their daily life."