Labour MP Dr Rupa Huq welcomed residents from her Ealing Central and Acton constituency to Westminster earlier this week for an International Women’s Day event in Parliament.
Held in a committee room at the House of Commons on Tuesday (10 March 2026), the event brought together MPs, peers and campaigners to reflect on women’s rights and representation in politics. Constituents were joined by parliamentarians and representatives from campaign groups including Southall Black Sisters.
Speakers included Lucy Powell, Naz Shah and Sarah Sackman. Also addressing the audience were Chi Onwurah, chair of parliament’s science and technology select committee, and Melanie Ward.
Baroness Neena Gill, a Hanger Hill resident and former MEP, also spoke during the event.
Dr Huq highlighted the growing number of women serving in parliament. She said: “Women now make up 41% of all MPs, which is a huge increase from when I was first elected in 2015 and it was only 29%.”
Dr Huq said the event was intended to bring local residents into parliament to discuss the importance of supporting women in public life.
She added: “It was important to me to bring Ealing Central and Acton to Parliament, where we discussed the importance of empowering other women to smash through the glass ceiling, instead of pulling the ladder up after you.”
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session chaired by Dr Huq, featuring contributions from Dawn Butler and Rosena Allin-Khan.
