Before the debate gets fast and furious, here’s a (brief) chronology of key events in the women’s movement over the last 150 years. Because, in the words of Guardian editor C.P. Scott, “comment is free, but facts are sacred”.  1867 The London Society for Women’s Suffrage founded a campaign for female suffrage.  1870 The Married Women’s Property Act allows married women to own their own property. Previously, when women married, any property they held (including their children) transferred to their husbands. This act allowed women to keep their own property for the first time, irrespective of whether they are married, divorced, single or widowed.  1888 The Matchstick girls’ strike: 1,400 women at Bryant & May matchstick factory go on strike in protest at low wages and dangerous conditions. It’s a crucial event not only in the history of women’s rights, but also the Trade Union movement.  1903 The Women’s Social and Political Union (otherwise known as the Suffragettes) is founded in Manchester by Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, and Annie Kearney. Over the next few years their activities – including arson, trespass and lobbying politicians – gets a lot of publicity.  1912 The ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act, allowing the government to temporarily let female prisoners who were hunger striking for the vote go – until they were fit enough to be imprisoned again, that is…  1918 Women over 30 are granted the right to vote and women are allowed to stand as MPs.  1923 The Matrimonial Causes Act makes grounds for divorce the same for women and men.  1928 All women get the same voting rights as men – the first election they could vote in was 1929 (the ‘Flapper’ election), which resulted in a hung parliament.  1956 The Sexual Offences Act defines rape under specific criteria, such as no consent.  1958 Women are allowed to sit in the House of Lords for the first time.  1967 The Abortion Act decriminalises abortion in Britain on certain grounds and the contraceptive pill is made available through Family Planning Clinics (it’s available on the NHS in 1974), both giving women hitherto unprecedented control over their own bodies.  1968 Women working at the Ford car factory in Dagenham strike over equal pay, bringing production to a standstill in all UK Ford plants. Their protest led directly to the passing of the Equal Pay Act (1970)  1975 The Sex Discrimination Act makes it illegal to discriminate against women in work, education and training.  1977 International Women’s Day is formalised as an annual event by the UN General Assembly. And that’s why we’re all gathered here on this fine evening!  1979 Margaret Thatcher is elected the UK’s first (and thus far only) female Prime Minister.  1999 The House of Lords declares that women who fear gender persecution should be recognised as refugees.
Read back through all the build-up to our Twitter chat on International Women’s Day about the role of feminism for today’s teenagers, plus live updates as it happened