Women have cracked the glass ceiling. Now let’s smash through it

It seems barely a day goes by without another crack appearing in the glass ceiling. This week, I found it particularly fitting that at the same time as record numbers of young women collected A-Level results in science subjects traditionally the preserve of men, Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman to win the highest accolade in maths, the Fields Medal. Just days later, in front of a record audience, the England Women’s Rugby team lifted the World Cup for the first time in twenty years. From the lecture theatre and the board room to the sports field, women are continuing to break new ground, and the government is on their side.

There are more women working in this country than at any other point in history. More are working full time; in the last year alone 350,000 extra women have been employed, giving them greater financial security. Women are making great strides in all areas of business and it is a source of great pride to me that thanks to a sustained campaign from this government and the commitment of companies, this country now has a woman on every FTSE 100 board.