United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Lady Verma argues macho 'bang on tables' to be heard aspect of politics is unattractive, but warns PM against tokenism

Female politicians have to work hard to be "noticed and seen" in the "bang-on-tables" world of Westminster, one of David Cameron's ministers has said.

Lady Verma of Leicester, an energy minister, said the way women have to "raise our tempo" to be heard is an unattractive aspect of politics today.

Women still know less about politics than men despite progress in sexual equality, especially in Britain, academics have said.

A study of 10 nations found an "unmistakable gender gap" even in apparently progressive richer nations.

The division was particularly stark in Britain, which was found to have the second-widest gulf in knowledge between the sexes.

In April’s local elections, only one in three of those eligible to vote actually did so. What proportion of those voters were women? It’s difficult to get an exact percentage, but in most UK elections, women account for just under half of the turnout.

The Welsh Government has been urged to address the “glass ceiling” of women standing for council seats after local elections on Anglesey saw just three women councillors returned. A report by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) in Wales obtained by WalesOnline, analysing the results of the poll, revealed how continuing barriers to women standing meant the island’s female representation remained the worst in Wales, with only three (Plaid Cymru) members elected out of 30.

WITH just 25 women TDs in the Dail, it's perhaps unfair to expect the debate on the Protection of Life in Pregnancy

Lots of vibrant young women enter UK politics - but only a few of them stand the test of time. Twenty-five year-old Charlotte Henry, a former Liberal Democrat candidate in the May 2010 London Assembly election and political blogger, explores why, just as Labour leader Ed Miliband is cited as looking to promote more female MPs in the shadow cabinet.

Margaret Thatcher didn’t smash the political glass ceiling. She refused to acknowledge its existence and my female Conservative colleagues and I are the beneficiaries of her fearless approach, writes Amber Rudd.

(We invite our users to read the complete article published April 9 2013)