Motion #04

Allow two women to be co-leaders or deputy leaders

Synopsis

The current gender-balancing rules for party leadership are written in a way that prevents multiple women from serving as Co-Leaders or Co-Deputy Leaders. Gender balancing is intended to counteract misogyny in politics, not to hold women back. This motion fixes that.

Motion

SOC Note: SOC Note: This motion will require a 2/3 majority to pass.

Subsection i) of Article 8, Green Party of England and Wales Constitution:

“There shall be a leader and two deputy leaders of the party. The leader shall be a voting member of the Executive and the deputy leaders be treated as a job-share.”

Subsection iv) of Article 8, Green Party of England and Wales Constitution:

“The post of deputy leader will be held as a job share with two individuals of a different gender, noting that gender is self-determined.

Two members of a different gender may together stand for the office of Leader in order to hold the post as a jobshare in which case they shall be known as ‘Co-Leaders’. In this case a single Deputy, the individual who polls the highest vote, regardless of gender, will be elected. Members standing to be Co-Leaders may not simultaneously be candidates as individuals for either Leader or Deputy Leader.”

In Subsection iv) of Article 8, Green Party of England and Wales Constitution:

Replace:

“The post of deputy leader will be held as a job share with two individuals of a different gender, noting that gender is self-determined.”

With:

“The post of deputy leader will be held as a job share with two individuals, at least one of whom must be a woman or a non-binary person (noting that gender is self-determined).”

Replace:

“Two members of a different gender may together stand for the office of Leader in order to hold the post as a job share in which case they shall be known as ‘Co-Leaders’”

With:

“Two members, of whom at least one must be a woman or a non-binary person, may together stand for the office of Leader in order to hold the post as a job share in which case they shall be known as ‘Co-Leaders’.

So that Subsection iv reads:

“The post of deputy leader will be held as a job share with two individuals, at least one of whom must be a woman or a non-binary person (noting that gender is self-determined).

Two members, of whom at least one must be a woman or a non-binary person, may together stand for the office of Leader in order to hold the post as a job share in which case they shall be known as ‘Co-Leaders’’. In this case a single Deputy, the individual who polls the highest vote, regardless of gender, will be elected. Members standing to be Co-Leaders may not simultaneously be candidates as individuals for either Leader or Deputy Leader.”