Fewer than half of MSPs disclose whether they are male or female

The Scottish Parliament has restored its listing of male and female MSPs – but fewer than half have disclosed their sex.

Data on how many men and how many women were sitting in the devolved legislature was collected as part of efforts to monitor female participation.

It was available using a filter on the list of MSPs, but this was removed at the start of the current session, pending a survey of parliamentarians.

It has now been restored, with a new filter added to include trans status.

That option follows the election of the first two trans MSPs, Greens Iris Duane, a trans woman, and Q Manivannan, who identifies as non-binary.

All MSPs were surveyed about their sex and gender, but fewer than half provided answers. Some of those who did chose not to consent to their answers being published.

That means that though the filters have now been restored to the website, most MSPs are now listed as not male, female nor with a trans identity, but “undisclosed”.

Under previous presiding officer Alison Johnston, a “Gender Sensitive Audit” (GSA) was carried out to monitor women’s participation in Holyrood politics.

It was supported by all parties and backed by organisations like Engender.

But in an email to MSPs, senior official Lorna Hunter, the parliament’s director of people, communications and inclusion, said that there is now “no clear consensus from all MSPs on how to fulfil” the recommendations of the audit.

She said: “It highlights the difficulty the parliament will most likely have in publishing any further diversity data on other protected characteristics. 

“It makes tracking and addressing under-representation all the more difficult, despite the laudable recommendations of the Gender Sensitive Audit.”

Before the male/female search was removed, officials temporarily added a non-binary option.

At the time, a parliament spokesperson said it was working with a “legacy system” and this was removed as part of the Inclusive Parliament Review.