QUALIFICATION OF WOMEN ACT 1918

That this House notes that 21 November 2018 will be the centenary of the Qualification of Women Act when women were first allowed to stand for Parliament; recognises that this is a great cause for celebration, being a considerable step forward for British democracy; further notes that over the last 100 years there have been only 290 women hon. Members compared to 4,503 men, and that at the last election only 12 extra women were elected, meaning that at this rate of change it will take over 50 years for the House to achieve gender balance; further recognises the important role that women play in our society, being over 50 per cent of the UK population; and calls on the Government to use this centenary to celebrate women and inspire them in standing for Parliament by encouraging all hon. Members to invite a women from their parliamentary constituency to Westminster that day for the purpose of shadowing their work and to attend a inspirational celebratory event to be staged in Westminster Hall culminating in asking those women present to embark upon a career in politics by asking them to stand and take the next step along the path to Parliament.