Ladies of the house

The face of British politics changed in 1997: not just because of the Labour Party's landslide victory — but literally, too.

A total of 101 female members (that is almost one in four) were added to the Parliament for the first time in British political history.

On May 2, 1997, Tony Blair, the new prime minister, stood on the steps of Church House, Westminster, with 96 female MPs, who came to be known as “Blair's Babes'' — a term condemned as “misogynistic'' by some journalists at the time.

More than a decade earlier, allegations of inequality, sexism and unfair treatment of women in the workplace were rife in the United Kingdom.

Female representation in the government was seen as too low and the female MPs were seen as failing the cause of women.

A change of representation

In 1985, the Conservative government had to face severe criticism for imposing an additional value-added tax (VAT) of 17.5 per cent on female sanitary products.

Many women's rights groups and the female population in Britain argued that VAT, usually charged on “luxury'' items such as tobacco, shouldn't be charged on such items.

In 2000, a reduced rate of VAT was introduced for many household and personal hygiene items, including female sanitary products.

Under Gordon Brown — then chancellor of the exchequer — this reduced rate was set at 5 per cent and is still applicable.

However, many believe that women's rights and issues still demand a strong representation in government.

Tessa Jowell, one of Blair's original “Babes'' and now a minister, told Weekend Review: “I think the challenge is to remind people that it [female representation] is still important.

There is always a great risk that because a milestone has been achieved — there was one point where I think 30 per cent of the Cabinet were women, with 25 per cent of the whole government and 27 per cent of backbenchers — it could become the high-water mark,'' she said.

“The fact is you've got to maintain or exceed those levels, [and] not believe that because you did it once … that the government is one of cultural and gender equality''.

Another year of radical change for Britain was 1979. Margaret Thatcher, leader of the opposition since 1975, became the first British female prime minister.

The momentous occasion was greeted by women's rights activists.

However, the election saw the lowest number of female MPs in government in 30 years.

Analysts saw the road ahead for Thatcher as tough — to be a leading female figure in what was very much still a man's world.

Some MPs were adamant that a woman couldn't take on the tough role. In interviews carried out after Thatcher's era, one male MP even went as far to say he didn't think she would last long in the Cabinet, because “she wouldn't understand the jokes we told'' — simply because she was a woman.

The “old boys' network'' was seen to be still in full swing and the “glass ceiling'' was perceived as becoming even higher for ambitious women in the late 1970s.

Varying views

“She was much more like a male politician in many ways,'' Jowell said about Thatcher. “I would always avoid ghetto-ing particular issues.

The fact is, we only got this massive expansion of affordable childcare, maternity rights, paternity rights, flexible working and action on domestic violence when we had a very large number of women ministers. ... We all came into politics campaigning on these things, so of course we want to realise those campaigns on legislation when we're in government,'' Jowell said.

Despite criticism from British women for her tough stance, Thatcher came to be known as a strong leader and an “astute parliamentary tactician'' who could handle disagreement from any side of the House of Commons.

Some say Thatcher paved the way for women in government, while critics maintain that a woman acting as a man in a man's world simply didn't support the cause of women.

Bites from a long-distance runner

Tessa Jowell, Olympics minister and UK paymaster-general, was appointed to both posts in June 2007.

The Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood also holds responsibility for humanitarian assistance, involving the provision of support to victims of disasters at home and abroad.

Jowell was previously secretary of state for culture, media and sport but lost the post after Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair in June 2007.

‘Weekend Review' asked Jowell if she missed Blair's leadership.

“Of course it's different and of course I miss Tony — and I miss many of the people I was in government with when he was in power.

But you've got to be able to adapt and move on. ... You can never live in the past or indeed live in the moment in politics; you've got to be looking ahead and chasing your rights,'' she said.

Jowell said on the recent Labour win in Glenrothes, Scotland: “It's more substantial than [merely] one by-election because I think it was an expression of a number of things — not the least being recognition of what Gordon Brown has achieved personally in providing leadership during the worldwide financial crisis.

I think he should take a lot of the credit,'' she said.