International Women's Day

International Women's Day, held on 8 March, marked a celebration of the economic, social, cultural and political achievements of women.

I was delighted to welcome Hackney women to Parliament to mark this momentous day, recognising how far we have travelled in the fight for gender equality, but also to recognise how much further we have to go, both in the UK and internationally.

While there has been progress on certain issues, women in the UK are still more likely to work for less pay than men, in low paid sectors and be disproportionately affected by cuts to public services.

Despite repeated calls from Labour, the government has refused to publish a cumulative impact assessment of their policies on women.