International Women’s Day is a stark reminder that the fight for equality is far from over. Decades of struggle—from the suffragettes securing the vote to the Equal Pay Act of 1970—have delivered progress, yet inequality between men and women remains. Under successive Conservative governments, progress stagnated. Now, with Labour in power, change is finally happening.

This Labour government has put women’s rights at the heart of our legislative agenda. Within months of taking office, we introduced legislation that will transform working life for women across the UK.

We have introduced statutory maternity pay from day one, ensuring that new mothers receive financial support without the pressure to return to work prematurely.

This Labour government has also increased the national living and minimum wage, meaning that more women—who statistically more likely to be in low-paid and part-time work—will have greater financial security and independence.

We are also banning exploitative zero-hours contracts that hit women hardest.

Labour is tackling pregnancy loss with compassion. Parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks will now have the right to two weeks of bereavement leave, recognising the profound impact of miscarriage and giving parents the dignity and time to grieve.

The injustice of unfair dismissal has also been addressed. Under the Tories, employees had to be in a job for two years before gaining protection from unfair dismissal. This left countless employees—many of them women—at risk of exploitation and sudden job loss. Labour has put an end to this providing protection as a day-one right.

In Wales and across the UK, these reforms will make a real difference, providing greater job security, fairer wages, and stronger workplace protections for women. This is what Labour governments do—we legislate for real change that improves lives.

Labour is also taking decisive action to tackle the epidemic of violence against women and girls, which spiralled under previous Conservative governments. We are embedding domestic abuse specialists in every 999-control room, ensuring immediate support for survivors.

We are tackling the justice system backlog so that women are not left waiting years for their cases to be heard. We are committed to ensuring that abusers face the full force of the law.

None of this would be possible without the women leading change in government. Labour has more women MPs than any other party. Our Cabinet has more women than any previous Cabinet. We have a female Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) and Rachel Reeves has made history as the UK’s first female Chancellor, driving economic reforms that will improve financial security for millions of women. Alongside many other dedicated women in Parliament, we are making sure that equality between men and women remains central to Labour’s mission.

But the struggle is not over. Labour will continue to lead this battle—ensuring every woman, no matter her background, can live, work, and thrive in a fairer, more equal society. This International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment. With Labour in government, the future for women across the UK is a brighter one.