In the days running up to Theresa May becoming Britain’s second female prime minister, her aides briefed the press that she would appoint an unprecedented number of women to top positions in her cabinet.
But of the six senior posts in British government announced in the hours after she took office last night, the only woman besides May is her successor at the Home Office.
To be sure, May appointed Amber Rudd, who has been energy secretary for over a year and backed Britain staying in the EU, to a position of great import and sensitivity–among other things, she will have to address the radioactive political issue of immigration. May herself was tough on the matter, but did not meet her party’s promises to cut net immigrant inflows to below 100,000 a year. According to The Guardian, Rudd’s promotion shows she has truly arrived after proving herself during the referendum debates.
Still, Rudd was notable for her singularity. All the other big jobs–including foreign minister, chancellor of the Exchequer, the newly-created “minister for Brexit”–went to familiar male Conservatives. And while Rudd represents gender diversity, she ticks very few other diversity boxes: she is a former banker from a prominent family.
More appointments are expected to come today, so the ranks of women in government could expand. Top Tory women, including Justine Greening, international development secretary, may be given cabinet roles. And perhaps May’s taking up residence in Downing Street is achievement enough. If Hillary Clinton becomes president, and Angela Merkel remains chancellor of Germany, nearly half of the G-7 will be led by women. That’s nearly gender parity.
Laura Cohn