Natalie Gyte

Head of Communications at Women’s Resource Centre, the national umbrella body for women’s charities

David Cameron remarked that Thatcher had "smashed through the glass ceiling" - she did, but not for women, simply for herself. She did not open the door for other women behind her; rather, she smashed the glass and replaced it with barbed wire fencing. She reinforced a system that does not allow for female leadership unless it acquiesces to patriarchal modes.

Helen Grant

Minister for Justice, Victims’ and the Courts and Minister for Women and Equalities

In England and Wales one in four women will be the victim of domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime, and in the last year around 400,000 women were sexually assaulted and 60,000 raped. Behind each of those horrifying statistics is a woman or child whose life has been ruined.

Michele Howarth Rashman

Artist

We all have pet causes. Mine include Amnesty International, Yorkshire Cat Rescue and re-writing the artist Jann Haworth back into art history.

Nadia Henderson

English with Creative Writing graduate. Loves books, cats and coffee, but who doesn't?

Femen might intend to liberate the women of Islam, but their over-simplification of Muslim women's experiences not only alienates this group, it offends them.

June Sun

Politics student, Emmanuel College, Cambridge University

On a recent train journey, I found myself, yet again, locked into debate with a fellow politics student. We argued about gender, equal pay, and affirmative action. We both wanted to win, we are both stubborn little mules, and we were both drunk.

Rakhi Kumar

Writer, Producer and Director at Akasha Associates and Founder & Editor in Chief of The Modern Girls Guide to Spirituality

I'm writing because I think it's time to stop suggesting to very young girls that ultimate feminine success - in the music industry or anywhere else - comes with the need, or the expectation for them to undress.

Melissa Steel

Blogger for Grads.co.uk & Myetutor.tv, Journalist and Graduate-To-Be

It is hard to be a woman in the Western world and not feel ashamed of your appearance. In the press, starlets in bikinis are picked apart more comprehensively than if an autopsy was being performed on them. Scrutiny naturally turns toward your own, inevitably inferior, body.

Karen Ruimy

Singer, author and co-founder of the global gender equality foundation, the GREAT Initiative

I moved into the banking industry as soon as I graduated - it seemed the obvious thing to do when you are good with figures and have a head for business. But then I decided to give it all up on the search for something else, something bigger. I needed to answer all those questions that had been making their presence felt in my life and in my head for some time.

Ali Schofield

Freelance journalist

Women are beautiful. This we know, because a series of Dove ad campaigns and TV programmes hosted by Gok Wan celebrating so called 'real women' have told us so.

Katherine Sladden

Senior Campaigner, Change.org UK

The 21st Century has not yet delivered our next female Prime Minister but the emerging group of women finding their voices online demonstrates there are other ways to change the world. Men stuck in the adversarial halls of Westminster would do well to take note.

Lisa Clarke

Feminist activist with L plates

We had a little victory this week. I mean we've had quite a few "Whoop" moments of late but this was different. The thing is it has occurred to me, for reasons which I will explain (whether you like it or not) that people mostly have no idea whatsoever how important or amazing they are or how much of a difference they can make.

Alice Booth

Left-wing, feminist student journalist studying at Leeds Metropolitan University

Rape jokes are a serious issue when they undermine the victim's self-confidence, prevent the reporting of sexual assault and lead to the blaming of victims for being too 'sexily' dressed, too drunk or just making the age-old mistake of being too female.

Chenice Clarke

English and American Literature and Sociology student

Equality is what I base my morals and principles on, and as I'm enjoying my Easter vacation from university, I thought I would join in with the endless supporters and critics of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's new book "Lean In", and see for myself if Sandberg really had anything important to say.

Isy Suttie

Comedian, actor, writer and lover of derelict buildings

I can't believe that when I used to hear the word "feminist" in my teens, I used to think I'd have to get hold of a fleece and dangly earrings to 'join' ... Now I'm a bit older, I'm proud to call myself a feminist - and to take action too, because sticks and stones may break the bones of misogyny, but words will never hurt it.

Claudia White

New College of the Humanities student and founder of the LGBT rights in education organization, GRIN Campaign

I am deeply disturbed by the volume of misogynistic vitriol being spouted by certain members of the British public in the wake of Margaret Thatcher's death. What disturbs me the most is not that people are aggressively disagreeing with her politics, but that people are genuinely rejoicing at the death of another person - a mother and a grandmother.

Simon Phillips-Hughes

Simon Phillips-Hughes writes about politics and business from an Anglo-American perspective

Reflecting on Margaret Thatcher's achievements is a timely exercise because she tackled many of the problems we face today. The years before she came to power were dominated by economic anxiety, terrorism and saber-rattling.