I am pleased to announce that Rainbow Murray (Queen Mary, Univ of London)
has offered to be the new convenor of the PSA women and politics Group. She
will take over at next year's PSA Women and POlitics Annual COnference. 

Here's her manifesto: 

I believe the Women and Politics group should have a dual function.
Firstly, it should represent a specialist forum for research on gender and
politics, and provide a welcoming environment for women members of the
profession.  But secondly, I think the group needs to help integrate
research on gender into 'mainstream' political science so that we are not
just preaching to the converted.  The established tradition of co-sponsoring
a panel at PSA with EPOP is an excellent one and I hope to see more
co-sponsored panels with other groups at PSA and beyond.

In terms of experience, I previously founded and convened the graduate
section of the ECPR women and politics standing group, as well as being an
active founder member of the ECPR graduate network.  I am well organised,
collegial and committed to the gender and politics cause!  I am a regular at
the PSA conference and always present a paper and/or chair a gender and
politics panel.  In 2006 I convened the entire gender and politics section
of the ECPR graduate conference and in 2008 I am hosting an international
research conference on women in French politics at Queen Mary, where I am a
lecturer.  I would use the skills and experience acquired from all of these
to keep up the good work that Sarah and Rosie have invested in this group
and keep taking it forward.

It is important that Rainbow has a colleague to support her in convening the
group. This could be somebody who is newish to academia or somebody who has
insufficient time to be the convenor but is prepared to assist Rainbow in
convening the group. Perhaps this could be for one year in the first
instance, if people are worried about over commiting themselves. If anybody
is interested could they please contact Rainbow directly: 
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we'd like to wish Rainbow all the best in taking the group further!
many thanks
Sarah and Rosie