We kicked off 2025 with an inspiring and uplifting event in Parliament, bringing together our members, supporters, and parliamentarians to reflect on progress and map out the next steps towards a gender-equal Parliament.
Our Celebrating Women in Parliament: Next Steps to Gender Equality event was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come—and how much further we still need to go. With women now making up 40% of MPs, this is the highest level of female representation in the UK’s history. But to reach true equality—50% representation—the biggest proportional increase in women MPs ever is needed.
At the event, Centenary Action Convener Helen Pankhurst introduced our Mission 2028 campaign, setting out the key actions needed to achieve a gender-equal Parliament by the centenary of equal franchise in 2028.
Girlguiding Advocate Aishah delivered an impassioned speech that resonated with everyone in the room. You can read it here.
We were delighted to be joined by women MPs from across the political spectrum, sharing their journeys, the importance of representation, and their visions for a fairer, more inclusive Parliament.
The event was generously sponsored by #SheRocksBusiness, and we heard from Sarah Walker-Smith on the vital link between equality in business and politics.
Our speakers:
Helen Pankhurst CBE: Centenary Action Convener
Aishah: Girlguiding Advocate
Caroline Voaden MP: Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon
Uma Kumaran MP: Newly elected Labour MP for Stratford and Bow
Shivani Raja MP: Newly elected Conservative MP for Leicester East (represented at the event by Conservative Cllr and previous parliamentary candidate Shazna Muzzamil)
Sarah Walker Smith: First female CEO of a national law firm (Ampa), representing the sponsor She Rocks Business
