SOUTH Ayrshire is lagging behind North and East Ayrshire when it comes to female candidates for the local elections. 

Over the eight wards that South Ayrshire is divided up into, 28 councillors are to be elected on May 4. 

There are 45 candidates for the wards and of those 45 only 11 are women, that is 24 per cent. 

The SNP and Labour are both fielding four female candidates, there are two Conservatives and one Independent. 

The two conservative female candidates, Mary Kilpatrick and Margaret Toner have already served as councillors, whilst the other parties are fielding new fresh candidates. 

This is lower than East Ayrshire, where just under 40 per cent of candidates there are female and North Ayrshire where women total 34 per cent of candidates. 

The female candidates are; 
Annie McIndoe, SNP, for Troon,
Helen Moonie, Labour, for Prestwick
Margaret Toner, Conservative, for Prestwick,
Laura Brennan-Whitefield, SNP, for Ayr North,
Brenda Knox, Labour, for Ayr North, 
Mary Kilpatrick, Conservative, for Ayr East, 
Siobhan Brown, SNP, for Ayr West, 
Liz Martin, Labour, for Ayr West, 
Julie Dettbarn, SNP, for Kyle,
Catriona Deliveli, Labour, for Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton
Karen Clark-McCartney, Independent, for Girvan and South Carrick. 

South Ayrshire Conservatives said: “The Scottish Conservatives in South Ayrshire fielding a strong team off candidates, men and women from a wide range of backgrounds, who are united in their determination to provide good quality local services.” 

Women 5050, the campaign advocating for 50 per cent representation of women in councils and in the Scottish Parliament, has analysed the candidate lists of all wards in the 32 councils for the upcoming local elections and found a significant under-representation of women on the ballot paper.

They found that women are making up a total of only 30 per cent of candidates, and that there are 21 wards with men only on the ballot, across the country. 

No party achieved a 50/50 split of men and women throughout all the councils. 

The Scottish Greens were closest with 45 per cent, the SNP - 41 per cent, Scottish Labour - 32 per cent, Scottish Liberal Democrats - 33 per cent, Independents - 18 per cent and lastly, the Scottish Conservatives with 17 per cent. 

Talat Yaqoob Chair and Co-Founder of Women 5050 said: “Currently, only 25 per cent of councillors are women. 

“With only 30 per cent women candidates in this election and a shocking 21 wards with no women on the ballot paper whatsoever, it is clear that we will not reach fair representation for women in 2017. 

“It is time for rhetoric to be turned to action, and we must implement legislation for all parties to follow, to make sure decision makers reflect the society they are meant to represent.”