Analysis provided by: Soraya Pascoe, Legal Expert on Gender.

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While there is no general specific provision for gender promotion in public life in the United Kingdom, discrimination against women in public life is covered by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

Here, although there are exceptions to the operation of the Sex Discrimination Act, for example the exclusion of women from certain religious ministry, the Act is used in a positive manner to promote women's equality in particular circumstances. One such circumstance is to make it easier for women to become Parliamentary candidates.

In the United Kingdom the 300 Group, an all party campaign organisation actively promotes the admission of women in particular to public office. One aspect of this is, training women in political and debating skills. Another aspect is to create a climate of perceiving women in public life as natural.

Currently only 18 per cent of MPs in the House of Commons are women and only 32 per cent of public appointments go to women. The government itself has set up the Women and Equality Unit (WEU) and indeed there is a minister for women as well as a deputy minister in the government cabinet. The WEU's priorities include encouraging employers to recognise and address, equal pay and equal opportunity issues. Other priorities include child care to be made accessible and affordable in order to support women in enjoying equality of opportunity in working and public life. To this end it closely works with EU partners to ensure new gender equality directives meet UK needs.

As a Government body it takes a strategic overview of equality policy across the Government and the Government itself has made a commitment to reduce gender inequalities through its public service agreement objective.

The WEU also takes into account the access to equality of opportunities for minority ethnic women.

As far as women in directorships are concerned, they are represented in this field by less than 1 per cent in the UK. It is an objective for the Department of Trade and Industry to implement gender equality at executive level. This is particularly in view of projections which show that in under 10 years time, 80 per cent of jobs will be filled by women. The ministers for women have also campaigned publicly and nationally to encourage more women into public life.

One outcome of Governmental intervention to promote female inclusion in politics is the amendment to sex discrimination legislation. This is the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates)Act 2002. This Act allows political parties the freedom to choose which measures they wish to take to reduce gender inequality. Its application covers the Westminster Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, European Parliament and local authorities. Provisions expire at the end of 2015. It is intended that by then the gender inequality will be remedied.

Further to the above measures the Government has announced plans to establish a commission for equality and human rights task force. This is in order to provide institutional support for human rights and take responsibility for equality legislation.

There is also currently an equality institutions review which is undertaking a overview of long term options and the role of equality institutions in Britain.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs, a Governmental body has also developed a Human Rights Unit. Aside from its role in implementing domestic Human Rights legislation, it also maintains and develops the UK's role according to international Human Rights treaties which include CEDAW. Other Governmental ministries also have their own equality units most noticeably the Department of Trade and Industry, the Home Office and the Department of Work and Pensions.

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