GREENS will push for a 50-50 gender balance among candidates for next year’s local and assembly elections, deputy party leader Amelia Womack announced yesterday. 

According to this year’s report on female presence in political structures by Counting Women In, the Greens already hold the record for highest proportion of female candidates at the general election. 

Ms Womack, who will be running for a seat in the Welsh Assembly, said she was “immensely proud” of her party’s stance on women’s equality. 

“We have always had women in leadership positions, but it is clear that even we have further to go to ensure women are represented,” she said.

“At next year’s London, Welsh and local elections we will encourage more women to stand, with the aim of them making up at least 50 per cent of our candidates.

“I would urge other parties to make concerted efforts to achieve the same.

“As things stand the concerns of women, who are often hardest hit by government spending cuts, are too easily brushed aside by the men in power.”

Green member Sarah Cope launched an unsuccessful legal challenge to allow job-share MPs, arguing that more flexibility would allow more women to run for Parliament.

She said: “Equal representation is an issue that matters for a number of reasons. 

“Over two thirds of government cuts have, to date, come from women’s pockets. Clearly, if you’re not at the table you’re on the menu.”