Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit
The Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit has been developed by Diverse5050 to support political parties in their work to achieve our joint aim – a Wales whose political institutions reflect the full diversity of Welsh society.
It is designed to help parties become places where people of any gender, protected characteristic and marginalised communities feel welcome and can succeed. Each module has been developed to help guide parties looking to foster inclusive environments.
The toolkit comprises three areas covering different aspects of party life and candidates’ journeys towards elected office:
- Party culture – including policies, awareness and understanding, inclusive events and activities, and media and communications.
- Attracting and identifying diverse talent – including information and outreach, candidate assessment and candidate selection.
- Nurturing and supporting diverse talent – including training and development, mentoring and peer support, financial assistance, and protection from harassment and abuse.
Some actions covered in each area will already be established in your party. The Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit provides an opportunity to join the dots, identify any gaps, and develop a comprehensive and coherent set of measures tailored to your party’s individual circumstances. In doing so, the toolkit can be used alongside the Welsh Government’s diversity and inclusion guidance for registered political parties to inform your party’s diversity and inclusion strategy and ongoing work.
It is important that your party’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is underpinned by a strategy that sets out your mission and objectives alongside measurable targets and actions and upheld in party leadership and your constitution. Your party should consider assigning a dedicated Equality and Diversity Coordinator to effectively oversee the implementation of this strategy, across different levels and branches of your party. To ensure transparency and accountability, your party may also want to publish a diversity and inclusion report that can be presented at your Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Annual Conference.
The content of this toolkit is informed by the Scottish Equal Representation in Politics Toolkit, which was developed by the Equal Representation Coalition for political parties in Scotland. We are grateful to the Equal Representation Coalition for their permission to use their materials as the basis for parts of this work.
Funded by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust
The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust has supported this work in recognition of the importance of the issue. The facts presented and the views expressed in this report are, however, those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Trust.
Click on ‘About Diverse5050’ to learn more
About Diverse5050
Diverse5050 is an award-winning coalition convened by the Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales 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.
Disclaimer: The Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit has been produced by Diverse5050. While it has been developed collaboratively in consultation with all members, membership in Diverse5050 does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of every single policy position in this document.
Read each part of the Diverse and Equal Representation Toolkit individually, or download the PDF in full here.