Today is International Women’s Day and the event has been marked by senior party figures.

Happy #InternationalWomensDay!

Today we celebrate the incredible achievements of women across our party, our country and the world.

But we also acknowledge the inequalities and challenges that still exist, and the hard work needed to bring about true gender equality. pic.twitter.com/GY1YpTKA1q

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) March 8, 2022

Christine Jardine reminds us of the especially poignant reason we celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March:

March 8 is #InternationalWomensDay because on that date in 1917 the women of St Petersburg protested calling for Peace and Bread and here we are a century later. Best to us all on #IWD

— Christine Jardine 🔶 (@cajardineMP) March 8, 2022

Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds called for changes to make it more appealing for women to stand for election at all levels, but particularly local Government:

We urgently need our councils and politics to be more representative of communities they serve. If local governments are so unrepresentative of the population they serve, they cannot possibly hope to deliver for that community effectively.

“So this May I want to see more women from different backgrounds, different classes and different ethnicities standing for election. All political parties have a duty to encourage this. And if you are someone in a position of power of influence then make sure you ask them to stand.

“It may seem obvious, but my own political career wouldn’t have started had someone not asked me to stand for council elections. At the time, I had the same view of local Government that many women do, a club for white men over a certain age. I hadn’t thought of entering politics before because I hadn’t believed my voice would be listened to.

“However, we also need structural issues to be resolved. Introducing more flexible schedules for council meetings should be the top priority. Council meetings are often too long and involve unworkable and unsociable hours for those with family, caring and work commitments.

“Society works better when those making decisions are representative of the communities they serve and this International Women’s Day we must remind ourselves of what needs to be done to reach that.”

Lib Dem Women are using the day to highlight women candidates for May’s elections on their Twitter feed,kicking off with one of our most senior and experienced council leaders

Happy International Women's Day!

We'll start off our celebration of female candidates with @ruthdombey . We wish you the very best in your campaign this year! pic.twitter.com/GFrSQ3laGd

— Lib Dem Women (@LibDemWomen) March 8, 2022

ALDC is doing similar:

Happy International Women's Day!

Today is a celebration of the incredible contributions of women in every corner of the world.

More specifically, we're celebrating Lib Dem women pushing boundaries, defying stereotypes and shattering glass ceilings! #IWD2022 pic.twitter.com/CLjvz1HYDH

— ALDC (@ALDC) March 8, 2022

In Scotland, Beatrice Wishart’s thoughts were with women in Ukraine and Afghanistan.

On International Women’s Day, first honoured over a century ago, I would like to commend and celebrate all those women who fought to shatter the glass ceiling and have paved the way for women’s equality.

“International Women’s Day should be a celebration, but today we think of the brave women and girls in Ukraine forced to make difficult decisions, to fight or flee, to save their families and homes, their freedoms and way of life.

“We should also remember and support the women and girls in Afghanistan facing a new reality, banned from things that not long ago was part of everyday life. We must remember every day, not just on International Women’s Day, the women and girls around the world who do not enjoy the same freedom as our sisters, daughters, and grand-daughters enjoy here.

“Closer to home, more needs to be done for Scotland’s women and girls to prevent gender-based violence and domestic abuse. Women’s rights are human rights, and Scottish Liberal Democrats will continue to fight to protect and promote the rights of women and girls in Scotland.”