From the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Labour conference speech to packed fringe meetings, feminism and women’s rights feel important to this still newly elected government. That Rachel Reeves opened her landmark speech as the first female Chancellor in history on the importance of female role models, paying tribute to the “trailblazing women” who went before her, was significant in this respect.
“I’m here because of thousands of women… who broke down barriers and defeated low expectations to pave the way for the rest of us,” Reeves said, clearly emotional as she reflected on her achievement (following 800 years of male chancellors). While so much has been accomplished by women in terms of equality, Reeves also acknowledged that there was further to go: it was up to her “generation of Labour women… to write the work of all women back into our economic story; to show to our daughters and our granddaughters that they need place no ceiling on their ambitions.” There can be no doubting the sincerity of the Chancellor’s words, which for some were emotional to hear.
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