Today I was proud to mark 97 years since women won the vote on equal terms with men with a commemorative photocall organised by Centenary Action. Alongside many of my honourable women colleagues, I received a personalised suffragette sash reflecting my position as number 367 on the list of women MPs to enter the House of Commons.

The progress we have made with respect to women representation in Parliament is remarkable. On 1st December 1919, Lady Astor became the first woman MP to take her seat in a House of over 700 men. In the last general election, a record 263 female MPs have been elected to the House.

This number is a testament to how far we’ve come as a society since the Equal Franchise Act of 1928. In the past, women were prohibited from most forms of employment and excluded from obtaining formal degrees from our nation’s top universities. Their critical contributions to the foundations of our country were long overlooked and their voices went unheard. It was thanks to the suffragettes, who struggled and campaigned tirelessly, that the vote was brought to those who so desperately deserved it.

The benefits of the suffragettes’ great sacrifice outlived them. In later times, women began to serve alongside men in our Armed Forces, the first female judge to sit at the High Court was appointed and Britain elected our first female Prime Minister. The push for women’s rights to suffrage extended to seeking equality for women generally, with organisations like Centenary Action established in the memory of the movement still pushing for gender equality today.

I would like to thank them, as well as the talented seamstresses at Re:Make Newport, for all of the work they have done to make this event a reality. In the wake of this vital event, it is important for all of us to reflect not only on the progress that has been made, but also that which is yet to come in order to remove barriers to opportunity for all women.