Running for parliament is still a man’s world, with fewer female candidates – especially in winnable seats
Source: The Conversation
Despite progress towards gender equality in Australian elections, women remain underrepresented among candidates vying for office on May 3. They are also overrepresented in “glass cliff” seats, which are the ones that are difficult to win and precarious to hold.
The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University has analysed 591 candidates in the election by gender, political party, and the seats they are contesting.
Our report published today finds that while the major parties are increasing the number of women they pre-select, they are more likely to be running in harder-to-win seats.
From the glass ceiling to the glass cliff
Women are inching towards gender parity and now make up 45% of candidates across all parties and independents.
Labor has made the strongest gains. More than half (56%) of its candidates are women, a jump of about 10 percentage points on the previous election. By comparison, only 32% of Coalition candidates are female, an increase of just 3% on the 2022 poll.
Coalition women are not only outnumbered two to one by male candidates – 84% of them are running in risky glass cliff seats.
Read here the full article published by The Conversation on 9 April 2025.
Image by The Conversation
Despite progress towards gender equality in Australian elections, women remain underrepresented among candidates vying for office on May 3. They are also overrepresented in “glass cliff” seats, which are the ones that are difficult to win and precarious to hold.
The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University has analysed 591 candidates in the election by gender, political party, and the seats they are contesting.
Our report published today finds that while the major parties are increasing the number of women they pre-select, they are more likely to be running in harder-to-win seats.
From the glass ceiling to the glass cliff
Women are inching towards gender parity and now make up 45% of candidates across all parties and independents.
Labor has made the strongest gains. More than half (56%) of its candidates are women, a jump of about 10 percentage points on the previous election. By comparison, only 32% of Coalition candidates are female, an increase of just 3% on the 2022 poll.
Coalition women are not only outnumbered two to one by male candidates – 84% of them are running in risky glass cliff seats.
Read here the full article published by The Conversation on 9 April 2025.
Image by The Conversation