Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics, by Rachel Reeves MP

Join us for the book launch of Women of Westminster: The MPs Who Changed Politics, by Rachel Reeves MP. Joined in conversation with Professor Rosie Campbell, Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, they will discuss the history and future of female parliamentarians.

About Women of Westminster

In 1919 Nancy Astor was elected as the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton, becoming the first woman MP to take her seat in the House of Commons. Her achievement was all the more remarkable given that women (and even then only some women) had only been entitled to vote for just over a year. In the past 100 years, a total of 491 women have been elected to Parliament. Yet it was not until 2016 that the total number of women ever elected surpassed the number of male MPs in a single parliament. The achievements of these political pioneers have been remarkable – Britain has now had two female Prime Ministers and women MPs have made significant strides in fighting for gender equality from the earliest suffrage campaigns to Barbara Castle’s fight for equal pay to Harriet Harman’s recent legislation on the gender pay gap. Yet the stories of so many women MPs have too often been overlooked in political histories. In this book, Rachel Reeves brings forgotten MPs out of the shadows and looks at the many battles fought by the Women of Westminster, from 1919 to 2019.

Guest arrival from 19:15, the event begins at 19:30.

This event will be followed by a drinks reception at 20:45.

This is a free event, which means we overbook to allow for no-shows and to avoid empty seats. While we generally do not have to turn people away, this does mean we cannot guarantee everyone a place. Admission is on a first come, first served basis.
Please note we may video and take photos at the event for our own internal and external marketing purposes – if you would prefer not to be featured, please let us know in advance or make yourself known to a member of the events team on the night.