Party Officers Briefing: Gender Equality

The Co-operative Party has a longstanding commitment to ensuring equal representation of women within our internal structures. To ensure that this is clear and concise the following guidance has been issued.

The Co-operative Party’s approach to Gender Representation:

All Co-operative Party events, including those organised locally, should ideally include at least 50% female speakers, but at a minimum must ensure that they have female representation. This means that any event with two or more invited speakers must ensure that at least one confirmed speaker is a woman. Any all-male panels or events will not be permitted to take place under the Co-operative Party banner.

The Co-operative Party’s guidance on gender balance:

Our Party Rule Book requires gender balance for all delegate and officer positions including Party Council and Branch officers, Conference delegates, delegates to the Labour Party and Network Committee members. In this context the Party deems gender balance to be a means for ensuring adequate female representation. That means that a minimum of 50% of officer and delegate positions must be held by women.

For officer positions, a minimum of 50% of the positions must be held by women. Remember that this is a minimum not a maximum.

• If you have an even number of positions, then at least half of them must be held by women.
• If you have an odd number of positions, then you should round up every other year. For example if you have five positions, in the first year at least three of them must be women, in the second year at least two of them must be women, or vice versa.
• If you do not have enough nominations from women to fill at least 50% of your positions, then you must keep those positions vacant and invite nominations from women members ahead of an election at your next meeting.
• Click here for the Party’s AGM guidance for information on holding elections to ensure this requirement is met.

For delegate positions, a minimum of 50% of the positions must be held by women. Remember that this is a minimum not a maximum.

• If you have an even number of positions, then at least half of them must be held by women.
• If you have an odd number of positions, then you should round up every other year. For example if you have five roles, in the first year at least three of them must be women, in the second year at least two of them must be women, or vice versa.
• If you have a single position, then this must be a woman at least every other time.
• If you do not have enough nominations from women to fill at least 50% of your positions, then you must keep those positions vacant and invite nominations from women members ahead of an election at your next meeting.
• This applies to all internal and external delegates positions, including Party, Regional and National Councils, Annual Conference, and delegates to Constituency Labour Parties, Local Campaign Forums/Local Government Committees and Labour Party Executives.