Gender in politics: A historical development of women in British politics and the difficulties they face today

This thesis will focus on gender in British politics and more particularly, on the historical evolution of women in politics and the difficulties they still face today. The first chapter will explain the evolution of politics in general in the United Kingdom from the Middle Ages to the present day. During the Middle Ages, the first writen laws were created. Then it describes the evolution of politics trough the Tudor and Stuart eras. In the 19th century, the Suffragettes movement gave a voice to women in politics. Today, the political system has known a lot of changes and the country became a constitutional monarchy. The second chapter talks about women in British politics through time, providing figures about the actual numbers of women in Parliament. Also, over the last century, they obtained numerous rights. As for major female characters in the British history, Elizabeth I, Victoria and Elizabeth II are the most notable due to their achievements. As far as politics is concerned, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May are the two first and only women Prime Ministers. The third chapter will explore problems that women face in British politics nowadays, like sexism, the glass ceiling, the mirror representation, etc. Potential solutions will be explored.