Diverse5050

Diverse5050 is an award-winning coalition convened by the Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales in 2021 and led by a Steering Group including Electoral Reform Society Cymru, Race Council Cymru, EYST Wales (Ethnic Youth Support Team), Age Cymru, Stonewall Cymru, Disability Wales, National Union of Students (NUS) Cymru, Carers Wales and Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales (FTWW). Its aim is to ensure that Wales’ political institutions are gender balanced, with meaningful representation from people with protected characteristics and from marginalised communities.

Diverse5050 has been calling for:

Electoral reform that will deliver an enlarged Senedd elected
Legally binding integrated diversity and gender quotas
A Senedd elected according to a principle of proportionality
Strong measures from political parties to ensure diversity of candidates
Support for practical measures to encourage more diverse candidates

Landmarks of campaign success so far:

Diversity and inclusion guidance for political parties: Published on 31 March 2025
- The guidance encourages political parties to:
  - Develop, publish, implement, and regularly review diversity and inclusion strategies for Welsh elections
  - Collect and publish diversity information about their candidates for Senedd elections
  - Consider introducing voluntary gender quotas
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act: Received Royal Assent on 9 September 2024
- Introduced a duty for the Welsh Government to:
  - Promote candidate diversity through measures including advice, mentoring, training and financial assistance
  - Publish guidance for political parties to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Received Royal Assent on 24 June 2024
- Increased the size of the Senedd from 60 to 96 members from 2026
- Introduced a closed list proportional voting system and new multimember constituencies from 2026
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Introduced in March 2024, withdrawn on 24 September 2024
- Would have introduced binding gender quotas for Senedd elections
- The Reform Bill Committee published its Stage 1 Report on 7 June 2024
- The Senedd voted in favour of the general principles of the Bill following the Stage 1 debate on 16 July
- To our great disappointment, the Welsh Government announced it would withdraw the Bill on 16 September 2024 and this was agreed by the Senedd on 24 September 2024. We will continue to campaign for gender quota legislation to be reintroduced.