Seminar series objectives

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To document and explain women’s descriptive representation in the UK’s elected institutions: Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff Bay, and Stormont, at the 2015 and 2016 elections

To document women’s political attitudes at the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, and 2015 and 2016 parliamentary elections
To capture the content, direction and extent of representational claims made for women by elected and non-elected representatives across the UK with particular attention to the concerns of contemporary feminism in the UK and internationally

To identify the nature of women’s issues that elected representatives across the UK have prioritized
To establish how particular policies have impacted upon gender equality and gender relations
To explore how government and other actors have evaluated policy effectiveness
To explore congruency between the issues prioritized by elected and non-elected representatives who also claim to act for women
To identify ‘on the ground’ relationships between elected and non-elected representatives