Australia

A record number of women will take their seats in the House of Representatives when the 47th parliament sits for the first time in July, but representation in the Liberal Party has gone backwards as it grapples with how to regain the faith of female voters.

Women will comprise 38 per cent of the chamber in the new parliament – the highest ever proportion on record – after at least 57 women were elected to the lower house, including 19 first-term MPs.

Diversity advocates welcome new additions but say there is still a long way to go before parliament reflects Australian society

Australia’s new parliament looks set to be the most diverse, but there’s still a long way to go, diversity advocates say.

For the first time, both Northern Territory Senate spots will be held by Indigenous women – Labor’s Malarndirri McCarthy was re-elected and would be joined by the Country Liberal’s Jacinta Price.

Young women aren’t feeling any more optimistic about our parliamentary landscape, opportunities to build a career in politics or their safety, new research has found.