Jo Swinson youngest woman to attend Cabinet meeting

Jo became the youngest woman ever to attend a WestminsterGovernment Cabinet meeting recently.

The Liberal Democrat MP for East Dunbartonshire, who is now 34 years old, attended the meeting on Tuesday, December 2 to provide an update on the Government’s policies on women.

Although she does not have full Cabinet Minister rank, Jo attends meetings when issues to do with her role as Women and Equalities Minister are on the agenda.

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Ms Swinson talked about the significant reforms that she has worked on in Government including: introducing shared parental leave, expanding childcare, promoting equality at work and helping to lower the gender pay gap.

She said: “Presenting to Cabinet about issues I’m passionate about such as workplace equality and shared parental leave was certainly a special moment – and obviously made a little bit of history as the youngest women ever to do so.

“Of course it underlined the importance of getting more women into senior roles – whether that’s in business, science, the media or politics.

“I was delighted to update the Cabinet on this Government’s achievements in getting more women in work than ever before, the gender pay gap is at its lowest level and we have the highest number of women-led businesses.

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“In the week that new shared parental leave reforms came into effect, with 285,000 couples (including 20,000 in Scotland) eligible, I was also able to explain to the Cabinet how this policy will go a long way to advancing equality at home and in the workplace.”

Jo is married to married fellow Lib Dem MP Duncan Hames and they have a son.