Greater Manchester campaigner urges women to register to vote - with deadline approaching
Professor Helen Pankhurst is the great-granddaughter of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst
A Greater Manchester campaigner, whose Great-Grandmother was behind the British Suffragette movement, says women must utilise their right to vote - with the deadline to register fast approaching.
People have until 23:59 tonight (18th June) to register to vote in the General Election.
Professor Helen Pankhurst - great-granddaughter of Emmeline - says there's still so much work to do, to tackle things like gender-based violence, period poverty and pay gaps.
Helen is also a professor at Manchester Metropolitan University: "We are 51% of the electorate - our interests matter!
"Until we have a parliament that, in its greater diversity, addresses that - with the understanding that some women are privileged and not all women face the same barriers - we will have a poorer democracy."
She wants politicians to start listening more: "We want the parties to take women's interests and priorities much more seriously, to do much more gender analysis in their statements.
"When they're talking about issues like cost of living, we want them to look at, and address, specific constraints like the pay gap, and explain what they're going to do about it."
Professor Pankhurst also wants more done to tackle violence against women: "We know one in four women have experienced rape or sexual assault as an adult.
"Victims and survivors of gender based violence often don't get the referrals they need...
"For every women and girl it's almost like there's a curfew about where and when they can be - that's horrific.
"Globally, every single woman and girl will have concerns about where and when they can be present in their own person."
Professor Pankhurst is urging young women to get out and vote on 6th July in the General Election - you can read more here.