More Women in the General Synod than Parliament

The General Synod, which began meeting today, has a greater percentage of women in it than Parliament.

The Synod is the national assembley of the Church of England, and consists of bishops, elected clergy and laity, and various other representatives. In all, 32% of the General Synod is female, as opposed to 22% of the House of Commons and 22% of the House of Lords.

The different elements break down as follows:

Bishops                      0% women

Clergy                        29%

Laity                          46%

Others                       25%

The clergy and laity are elected by diocese; in 2 the laity elected no women (Carlisle and Ripon & Leeds), and in 7 no women were elected by the clergy (Ely, Lincoln, Portsmouth, Rochester, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, Sheffield, and Truro).

In 4 dioceses, the laity elected no men (Europe, Lincoln, Portsmouth and Sheffield).

There are no positive action or quota arrangements in the church (that we know of), and women remain absent from the ranks of the bishops.

Source: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/