History & Policy recently ran in a House of Commons committee room a well-attended public event on the role of women in Parliament. It was organised in conjunction with Unlock Democracy, the campaign for democratic reform. The speakers were Krista Cowman, Professor of History and Director of Research at University of Lincoln, and Nan Sloane, Director of the Centre for Women & Democracy. They discussed the past and present experiences of women in Parliament. The event reflected on the extent to which the presence of more female MPs in recent decades has made a notable difference to the legislative and policy agenda, and whether women have felt – and still feel – the need to justify their place at the table. It also considered the importance of the newly-formed parliamentary Women and Equalities Committee. Dr. Andrew Blick, Director of H&P, chaired.