South Ayrshire Julie Dettbarn Coronavirus reports exclusive South Ayrshire Julie Dettbarn

The reasons why so few women are becoming councillors in South Ayrshire

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South Ayrshire has elected the lowest number of women to its council since it formed three decades ago.Just three female members were elected to the local authority – the fewest since 1995 when almost half of councillors were women.It is also half the number who were elected in 2017.

At the same time, women make up 52 per cent of the South Ayrshire population.The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to SNP councillor Julie Dettbarn about the challenges facing women who want to stand for election.And she was clear that much more needs to be done to overcome the barriers – whether that is verbal abuse, parenting, inadequate pay and safety – to get more women into local politics.The Kyle SNP councillor stressed the importance of having female views represented at council level, particularly when it comes to decision-making.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.She said: “Of all the democratic chambers, your local council is where you want councillors to look most like the people you represent, not just be full of men or older people."There needs to be a diversity of backgrounds.”Of course, when it comes to representing South Ayrshire women, the problem is not about a minority.Despite making up more than half of the South Ayrshire population, just over ten per cent of elected members are women.Cllr Dettbarn said that a huge effort had been made by her party to push

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