This paper updates the Gender and Politics report released in 2015. It attempts to provide empirical evidence of the extent and nature of the gender imbalance in politics, discuss its consequences and construct an intellectual and philosophical framework to address the disparity based on Liberal principles. This paper draws from the Menzies Research Centre’s Gender and Politics Forum held in Melbourne on 26 June 2015. It was presented to the federal Women’s Committee Conference in Adelaide on 15-16 August 2015, convened to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of the Committee.