Nia Griffith MP joined fellow Labour Shadow Cabinet members in Dagenham this week to mark International Women’s Day, and the role of trade unions in furthering women’s rights. There they met women who took part in the strikes at Ford’s Dagenham in the 1960s, now dramatised in the film ‘Made in Dagenham,’ which led to greater equality for women in the workplace.
International Women’s Day is a chance to celebrate the achievements of women and to recognise the progress made on women’s rights and freedoms to date. Across the UK there are examples of women organising and securing change for themselves and their colleagues, in their work place, in their communities, as business leaders, and in their unions.
Labour has a strong record on advancing women’s rights and freedoms that we can be proud of. Almost every major piece of legislation that has improved the lives of working women has been introduced by a Labour Government. Labour brought in the Equal Pay Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, the Equality Act and the minimum wage.
While 8th March is about recognising how far we have travelled in the fight for gender equality, we must also recognise how much further we have to go, both in the UK and internationally. Our challenge now must be to build on past achievements and push for full equality for women: financially, in the workplace, in families and homes and in public spaces.