Women are less likely to become involved in mainstream politics or to stand for parliament than men, a report from the Electoral Commission concluded yesterday.

The study asserts that women regard politics as male dominated and are less likely than men to trust political institutions or to lobby their MP.

It said: "Women have a weaker sense of political efficacy than men; they have lower confidence that they can influence the political process through their own actions. Women also express less interest in politics than men, are less likely to regard politics as important and less likely to trust a range of political institutions."