End all male panels – our letter in the Guardian, 16th November

We are a group of women who have an interest in public or political life who have become increasingly concerned by the number of all male panels at policy debates particularly in Westminster and also across the country.

Recently advertised examples include the RSA’s “Tale of Two Cities” on whether Londoners are on the brink of “economic apartheid” – an event with three male speakers when we know women are disproportionately affected by the effects of the downturn. The IfG’s forthcoming “Policy by Twitter” event with four men – though we know many women in policy are not just active in social media but leading exponents.

As advocates and activists around gender equality, some of us in political parties, others not, we will no longer be attending events where there is an all male panel without exceptional reason and also be encouraging others to do the same. With few exceptions, most events – whether organised by men or women – could easily have been more thoughtfully planned with a better balanced panel. The benefits of this for all of us are clear – wider representation makes for more informed debate and better policy outcomes.

We strongly urge all think tanks or similar organisations to adopt a policy of no longer holding events without a consideration for gender balance.

For forward thinking organisations and particularly those at the heart of Westminster, we believe it is time to be following a higher standard of public life and debate, which is more in tune with expectations of increasing the presence and voice of women in all areas of our political and economic life.

(To add your name to the list of supporters, please leave us a comment. We will be adding a petition format shortly! And you can also click below to follow us.)

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About the Campaign

This is a campaign for change to achieve more balanced panels at policy events and seminars. It has been started by a cross section of women interested in public life who believe that the number of all male panels at policy events particularly in Westminster but also around the country needs to be addressed.

The lack of representation of women is not just an equality issue but has real implications for the quality of policy debate and therefore therefore the quality of policy decisions and outcomes. It is well known that a more diverse mix of voices leads to better decisions.

The women who have signed this have signed in a personal capacity. They cross political and geographic boundaries and are from across a range of sectors including business, politics, public boards, charities and academia.

Ensuring better gender balance on panels and diversity more widely is an issue that must be addressed by the leadership of our policy institutions. We believe that all male panels should become the exception rather than the norm and we encourage those who agree with our aims to support the campaign.

For any media enquiries about the campaign, please contact Seema Malhotra on – seema@seemamalhotra.com

To take part in the debate on Twitter, use the hastag #EndAllMalePanels.