DOZENS of women have gathered in a York square to celebrate the 100th anniversary of females voting for the first time at a General Election.

Yesterday’s ‘York women count!’event in St Helen’s Square, organised by York Women’s Forum, was billed as an ‘afternoon of celebration, conversation and revolution.’

There was singing, drumming, and a survey of York women’s priorities conducted by students from the University of York, who said key priorities identified included putting residents before tourists, improving disabled access and providing more affordable housing.

The event was attended by the Sheriff of York, Verna Campbell, and the city’s first female MP, York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

She won applause after giving an impassioned speech about the need for more progress for women, including more entering Parliament.

She said women had got the vote a century ago after decades of campaigning and fighting the system.

“We think about the women who tied themselves to railings, we think about the women who starved themselves, who made the country listen when they had no voice.”

But she said there were still only 209 women in Parliament. “In fact, I was the first woman to be elected to this seat in York in 2015. I was only the 423rd woman to be elected to Westminster - ever - and today we have had less than 600 women elected to Parliament and yet there are 650 seats.”

She told the crowd that ‘things need to change now’ and urged women to ‘use your vote, use your voice and all that you have.’

She said: “Speak up, stand up and act up for the women of our city and of our wider society.

“A hundred years is an amazing landmark and amazing things have been achieved over that time and we are seeing women increasingly in every part of our society.

“But my goodness, how much further we need to go. So join me in speaking up for women across our city and our nation and let’s change things for good and let’s change things forever.”