She Rocks Business, the recently launched network for female leaders and their allies, is sponsoring Centenary Action’s ‘Celebrating Women MPs - Next Steps to Gender Equality’ event in the House of Commons on Tuesday, November 5.
The event, chaired by leading women’s rights activist and Centenary Action convener Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE, will bring together business leaders, civil society organisations and parliamentarians to discuss the necessary changes required to ensure our female MPs have the culture and support needed to make meaningful positive change, and reach gender parity by 2028. The lack of gender parity in Westminster draws parallels to the business community; 2023 data showed that women held just one in five commercial roles on the boards of Britain’s 350 largest listed companies.
Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE, said: “Despite women constituting 51% of the population, they represent only 40% of MPs.
“Creating a parliament that effectively supports women is vital for increasing female representation and retaining current women MPs. There is a lot to learn from female leaders in a range of sectors, which is why we are bringing together a diverse group of women from politics, civil society and business to collaborate and make positive change for all.”
At the event, cross-party speakers will include new female MPs from the Conservatives, Labour, SNP, and the Liberal Democrats as well as Girl Guiding advocates. Attendees will include the Jo Cox Foundation, The Fawcett Society, Elect Her and professional services group Ampa.
She Rocks Business, created by Midlands businesses Cooper Parry Wealth and law firm Shakespeare Martineau, will be sponsoring the event. Aimed at female leaders and their allies She Rocks Business is a mould-breaking network aiming to facilitate valuable connections through a series of collaborative events, featuring field-leading speakers and guests.
Marie Smith, Associate Partner at Cooper Parry Wealth, said: “She Rocks Business is a close-knit and inspirational community for female leaders, their allies and peers.
“We’re thrilled to be sponsoring Centenary Action’s milestone event in Parliament. We see this as a fantastic opportunity for our She Rocks Business community to make a real impact, amplify some key issues and set the tone for our newly developed network to drive change and flourish.”
Sarah Walker-Smith, CEO of professional services group Ampa, of which Shakespeare Martineau is its largest brand, said: “Given the scale of the challenges we’re facing whether around society, the economy or climate change, it’s unfair and unrealistic to expect the government to fix long-term issues alone.
“It will take collaboration and a mix of talent, experience and perspective to find lasting solutions. The connection between politics and business cannot be ignored, so it’s incredibly important that we create spaces for female leaders in business and parliament to connect, share insights, experiences and challenges to see a different side and create better understanding.”
This year’s General Election marked a historic milestone, with women now comprising 40% of MPs—263 female MPs elected, a significant rise from 220 in 2019, with nearly half being new to the Commons. However, the UK is still lagging behind ranking 27th globally for women’s representation in national parliaments.
The event forms part of Centenary Action’s #Mission2028 campaign, aiming for gender parity in Parliament by 2028, exactly 100 years after all women received the right to vote.