Cllr Sue Woodward

The leader of the Labour opposition group hopes more female councillors will get the chance to take senior roles at Lichfield District Council.

The controlling Conservative group has come in for criticism after it featured just one woman – Cllr Helen Fisher – on its eight person Cabinet.

The appointment equates to 12% of the senior team on a council where 38% of its members are female.

Cllr Sue Woodward
Cllr Sue Woodward

Cllr Sue Woodward, leader of the Labour group in Lichfield and Burntwood, said it was important that a diverse range of views were being heard.

“For too many women, politics is too often seen as male dominated,” she said. “It’s important that a distinctive understanding of the lives of women comes to the table when decisions are made by the council.

“We make up 52% of the population but we certainly don’t get 52% of the clout.”

Cllr Woodward said the council had a history of strong female politicians and hoped some of the newer women councillors would follow in their footsteps.

“There have been a number of very forceful and capable cabinet members who have been women in the past,” she said. “I just hope we will see more in the future giving that distinctive perspective on council decisions, as this will allow the needs and concerns of women across the district to be better reflected.

“I’m pleased a woman has been apponted to the Cabinet. Hopefully, with a number of new female members on the council they will find their feet and move forward to get senior positions in the future.

“I’m very keen to see politics generally reflect the population as a whole.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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Rob
8 years ago

Be nice to have whoever is best suited for the role instead of gender obsessive quotas and box-ticking.