This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Accelerate Action. The purpose of our women in politics panel is to highlight the contribution of women in and across the nation who have led some of the most important political moments of our lifetimes from breaking glass ceilings to leading efforts in campaigning for more justice and equality on some of the most important issues facing women today.

Panelists:
The Rt. Hon Baroness Chakrabati CBE PC
Shami Chakrabarti is a leading British human rights lawyer and campaigner who has written and broadcast widely and held a number of public roles in recent decades. A legislator in the House of Lords, she is the author of On Liberty and Of Women. Director of Liberty (the National Council for Civil Liberties) from 2003 to 2016, she was Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales from 2016 to 2020.

Helen Pankhurst
Helen Pankhurst CBE is an international development and women’s rights advisor to CARE International – working mainly in Ethiopia and the UK. She is the first Chancellor of the University of Suffolk, a visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University and holds honorary doctorates from Edge Hill University and the University of Manchester.

Natalie Campbell
Natalie Campbell MBE ran as an independent candidate for Mayor of London in May 2024. By day, Natalie is Co-CEO of Belu Water, a drinks business that puts people and the environment first. To date, Belu has given WaterAid over £5.8m to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere. She is also an award-winning social entrepreneur and broadcaster and the Chancellor of The University of Westminster.

Laura Coryton
Laura Coryton MBE is a feminist campaigner, author and founder of the social enterprise ‘Sex Ed Matters. She led the petition to end tampon tax, which gained over 300,000 signatures and support from major political figures including President Obama. Together, they successfully lobbied the government into establishing the Tampon Tax Fund, through which almost £100m was donated to female-focused charities, and to ending the sexist tax in 2021. She is also an Obama Foundation European Leader.