Our story

Inspired by the suffragettes and suffragists, Centenary Action was established by Helen Pankhurst CBE, granddaughter of Sylvia and great-granddaughter of Emmeline, in 2018 to mark the centenary of some women getting the right to vote and to take action over the following 10 years to deliver a gender equal parliament by 2028.

Driven by this mission, and the historic responsibility, we have established ourselves as the leading voice for women’s political representation, having created a coalition of over 200 organisations, business leaders, politicians, academics and activists, with a reach through our partners of millions of women and girls.

We are a cross-party campaigning force supporting women, bringing local, national and international organisations together to amplify voices and campaign for change. 

We use our collective power to advocate for the development, improvement and implementation of laws and policies that reduce or remove the barriers to women’s participation and have a strong focus on the intersectional issues as they affect women. 

We are unique in our offer and, by bringing together civil society and business women with political representatives and pooling expertise, resources and relationships, we have increased traction and political pressure to support the objectives we set ourselves. 

We are proud of what we achieved in a difficult political climate. The barriers that women in politics face are more visible than ever and thousands have taken action and called on the government to deliver on the legacy of the suffragettes and suffragists. 

We cannot wait for another 50 years to see equal representation. We must have action that ensures women have the right to take part in the decisions that affect their lives; that their voices are heard; and that they can do so without fear of violence, abuse and harassment.