A COALITION of more than 100 women’s equality campaigners called on the government today to enact a law that would reveal the “political gender gap.”

The Centenary Action Group — which includes the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) and the feminist Fawcett Society — is convened by suffragettes Sylvia and Emmeline Pankhurst’s granddaughter and great-granddaughter Helen Pankhurst.

The group — set up to mark 100 years this year since some women won the right to vote — is calling on Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt to enact section 106 of the Equality Act 2010.

This would require parties to publish the demographic makeup of election candidates in a similar way to how large companies are obliged under the same law to report gender pay gaps.

Just 32 per cent of MPs and 33 per cent of local councillors in Britain are women.

Campaigners say that having the gender data available would be the first step towards tackling the disparities between the number of men and women standing.

They also want the government to consider extending the requirement to local government elections.

In its response to the Commons women & equalities committee’s 2017 report on women, the government cited concerns about the “potential regulatory burden” of enacting regulations.

Fawcett Society chief executive Sam Smethers said: “Our parliament trails many others in the world for women’s representation.

“We cannot create a modern, inclusive, gender-equal parliament unless we capture data on the diversity of candidates.”

The demand came after shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti told attendees at the annual Matchwomen’s festival that feminists should fight for a Labour government.

“We’re at a political moment that could go one way or the other,” she told the audience when asked by organiser Louise Raw what motivated her to join Jeremy Corbyn’s team despite the abuse and attacks she knew she would face from the Labour right.

“You can be in the Women’s Equality Party, and I like book clubs and drinks parties, but for me feminism goes further than that.”

Asked if she would ever consider standing for Labour’s leadership herself she dismissed the idea, but added that a number of strong young female candidates were coming forward who could lead the party in the future — “though Jeremy Corbyn will have a long and successful time in Downing Street.”