Holyrood election 2026: The women standing for election, in numbers

Only 35 per cent of the candidates standing for election in Scotland this year are women.

The Scotsman’s analysis shows that just 363 of the 1,029 candidates standing for election across the country on May 7 are female.

This includes 148 women in the constituencies compared to 292 men, and 215 women in the regions compared to 373 men and at least one non-binary candidate.

There are also a number of constituencies where not a single female candidate is standing, including: Cumbernauld and Kilsyth; East Lothian and Lammermuirs; Glasgow Anniesland; Na h-Eileanan an Iar; Orkney; and Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley.

There are several other constituencies where there is only one female candidate on the ballot paper, including: Airdrie; Cowdenbeath; Cunninghame North; Dumfriesshire; Dundee City East; Falkirk West; Fife North East; Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse; Inverclyde; Inverness and Nairn; Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley; Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale; Paisley; and Uddingston and Bellshill.

Annabel Mullins from the campaign group Elect Her says the statistics are “pretty depressing but not hugely surprising”.

She told The Scotsman: “We have seen a noticeable drop-off in the number of women candidates across all levels of election and a noticeable downturn in women taking part in politics.

“There is a political context here too, for example at the last general election 16 per cent of Reform UK’s candidates were women, so when we have parties who don’t focus on women candidates there is a noticeable gap.

“The debate feels really regressive because young women look at politics and say ‘that’s not for me’, because it is all men in suits. It feels like we are going backwards.”

Ms Mullins says there is still a chance that 45 per cent of MSPs who get elected on May 7 will be female, because the SNP has a better gender split of candidates and is predicted to become the largest party in Scotland.

She added: “It still speaks to a broader problem.

“We know there are better outcomes when we have women in leadership.

“There are better health outcomes when women are at the table, there are deals made for peace and less war, there are greater degrees of trust and increased democracy.

“For example when women were given the vote in America, 20,000 babies were saved a year because parties shifted to focusing on health outcomes for women, and that shows that women in politics can improve outcomes for all.”

The number of female candidates at this election is down from 37 per cent at the 2021 Holyrood election. This included 124 women compared to 231 men in the constituencies, and 264 women compared to 439 men in the regions.

In 2021 there were also two constituencies where all the candidates were women - Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, and Dunfermline.

At the last Scottish election there were also a number constituencies where there was only one male candidate on the ballot paper, including: Aberdeen Donside; Clydesdale; Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse; Linlithgow; Perthshire South and Kinross-shire; and Rutherglen.

There were still several constituencies with an all male line-up in 2021, including: Aberdeen Central; Airdrie and Shotts; Angus South; Clackmannanshire and Dunblane; East Lothian; Glasgow Cathcart; Midlothian North and Musselburgh; Na h-Eileanan an Iar; and Perthshire North.

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This comes as several women step down from Holyrood, including a number of high-profile names.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Finance Secretary Shona Robison, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon are among the women leaving frontline politics in this election.

Both Ms Forbes and Children’s Minister Natalie Don-Innes have said they are standing down from politics because of struggles balancing work with having a young family.