LAST week hundreds of women in Newport celebrated a happy 102nd International Women’s day.

The day was first honoured in 1911 with its roots in the social and economic upheaval of the early twentieth century. At that time more than a million people attended events calling for an end to discrimination and for women to be granted the right to work, vote, and hold public office. For those of you who ask why we still need a day to celebrate the achievements of women and push for more here’s why.

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to remind ourselves that there are still parts of the world where women are still fighting for the most basic of things – freedom from violence and poverty, access to education and the list goes on. According to UN, women do 66% of the worlds work, produce 50% of its food, earn 10% of its income and own just 1% of its property.

Whilst things have come a long way in the UK, according to the electoral reform society Welsh women have been more likely to be elected Australian Prime Minister than they have a Plaid Cymru or Welsh Conservative MP. At the current rate of progress a child born today will have to wait until her 63rd birthday before we have equal number of female and male councillors across Welsh Local Government.

And it’s not just politics; a 2011 survey of top Welsh companies saw 2 women in senior positions and almost half of the 250 businesses in the UK don’t have a female board member. Women make up 72% of staff in local authorities yet only 18% of chief executives.

Women are more likely to be hit by the cuts because they use state services and benefits more. They are more likely to be lone parents and carers, experience domestic violence, live longer and earn less.

This year locally we were spoilt for choice with a day school organised by the Workers Educational Association in Ringland, a Newport City radio event for women interested in getting into radio and Rosemary Butler AM’s traditional International Women’s Day dinner organised by the University.

There is positive news as well. In Wales, the Welsh Assembly led the way with a world first in getting equal numbers of men and women elected. Locally we have Carmel Napier the Chief Constable of Gwent Police who is pushing an innovative multi agency approach to domestic violence, Professor Julie Lydon, Vice Chancellor of the new University of South Wales, and of course Newport’s Rosemary Butler AM as the first woman Presiding Officer in the Welsh Assembly. They are all fantastic role models for girls in Gwent.