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The Commons finishes for the day and we'll bring our coverage to a close with a video of Jess Phillip's speech.

SUMMARY: THURSDAY IN PARLIAMENT

The House of Commons devoted the afternoon to debating International Women's Day with powerful speeches from several MPs, including Jess Phillips, who spoke about male violence against women.

The Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins said the government had launched consultation on domestic abuse and that the question needed to change from "Why doesn't she leave him" to "Why doesn't he stop?"

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The minister says there is "much more to be done before we achieve gender equality" but on "our one day of the year where we get to celebrate women" she wants to finish on a positive note.

She notes that when her grandmother was born no woman had the right to vote.

"We fast forward two generations and I am here at the dispatch box and we have a female prime minister leading the celebrations.

"I leave this questino to the House. What more can we achieve in another two generations? That's our challenge."

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Closing the International Women's Day debate is the Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins, who highlights the speech made by the Labour MP Jess Phillips.

Ms Phillips read out the names of women who have been killed by men since the last International Women's Day.

The minister says: "I join others in wishing fervently that we'll be able to have a day where the honourable member doesn't have to read that list out.

"Home should be a place of love and support and safety. No one should have to suffer violence and abuse today."

She says the government has, today, launched a consultation on domestic abuse which will examine widening the definition beyond physical violence.

She states that the question needs to change from "'Why doesn't she leave him?" to "Why doesn't he stop?"

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Labour's Rosie Duffield makes her debut at the dispatch box in her role as women and equalities spokesperson.

She says it's been a significant year for women as they "continue to push boundaries and challenge expectations".

And she notes that the International Women's Day flag is now "flying proudly" over Parliament.

"We need women in the home and we need women in the House, this House", she declares, wishing women - and men - a happy International Women's Day.

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Stella Creasy calls International Women's Day a "feminist Christmas" but goes on to say that she may, perhaps, be the "grinch of this feminist Christmas".

She explains that the lesson from the suffragettes is that "deeds not words" make a difference.

"It's not enough to pay lip-service, not enough to march, to use the hashtag", she says, "we will only have a more equal future when we have deeds".

She continues: "We are not making the progress we think we are and the progress is agonisingly slow."

With women making up only 30 per cent of MP in this Parliament, she says,it will take another 14 general elections for parity to be achieved.

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A Conservative Mary Robinson reflects on the progress in women's rights since the first International Women's Day in 1911 but notes that there are still cabinet positions that have never been held by a woman.

Turning to the picture in local government, Mary Robinson - a former local councillor - says 3028 more women councillors will need to be elected to create parity with men.

She remarks: "At the present rate of progress, this will take about 68 years."

Not only that, she says, but just 17 per cent of council leaders are women.

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The SNP Deidre Brock says sexism is "deeply embedded" in our culture and seen as "a part of life" that women have to deal with.

Turning to the culture in Parliament she condemns the "juvenile, grinning idiocy that is so offensive sometimes, the smugness of a minority of men who think that supposedly clever point-scoring proves somethings, anti-intellectual nonsense that makes this continuing debate so tiring."

She continues: "There are men in this House who have a record of opposing progressive politics" and who regard "opposing equality as a playground joke."

She adds: "I'm tired of engaging with men who have little, so very little, to offer."

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Conservative MP Matt Warman says one of his faults is "overconfidence" but he admits to a "degree of nervousness" as he speaks in today's debate.

"There is so much that often goes wrong, very wrong, when men try to talk about issues relating to women and their rights," he says, to laughter.

Men as well as women need to "step up", Mr Warman adds, while the existence of female prime ministers and senior ministers does not mean that "the debate is over".

He tells the House: "When the country is better for all women it is better for all men too."

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Labour MP Rushanara Ali was born in Bangladesh, describing it as a country "born in conflict".

In an emotional speech, she says Bangladesh was a country "where millions of people lost their lives and where rape and violence was used as a weapon of war".

She adds: "That continues in many other countries today."

Ms Ali calls for more work to end sexual violence in conflict zones.

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As she did last year, Labour MP Jess Phillips rises to "remember the women killed by male violence since the last International Women's Day debate".

Before she reads the list of names, she says: "After today I will be told that I don't care about men who died, which is obviously ridiculous."

Similar charges are not levelled at people who remember men who have been killed, she adds.

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MPs from both sides of the House offer contrasting views of the ways in which Margaret Thatcher, the UK's first female prime minister, influenced them.

Maria Miller, the Conservative MP who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, says seeing Mrs Thatcher become Prime Minister "made politics relevant for me".

She says the former Tory leader changed her view of politics from "men in grey raincoats" to something "Technicolor" for "a 14-year-old in South Wales, where there weren't many Tories around".

Labour MP Seema Malhotra was "inspired" in a different way, telling the House she got involved in politics when set a homework project at school to "work ourselves up about something".

She says: "I managed to work myself up about Margaret Thatcher. I will honestly say that the rest is history."

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Shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler describes International Women's Day as "a rollercoaster of emotions" as she reflects on the inequalities arising from class and ethnicity, as well as gender.

She says she wants to focus on the "hidden history" of campaigners such as women of colour in the suffrage movement.

She pays tribute to the push for equal gender representation in Parliament, saying there might be "one more heave" before Labour achieves 50% female MPs.

She offers "applause, but not too loudly" for a female prime minister, whom she accuses of presiding over benefit reforms which have disproportionately affected women.

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Women and Equalities Minister Amber Rudd is opening a debate on the centenary of women's suffrage and International Women's Day.

She says it's an opportunity to celebrate women's achievements and recognise the inequalities that still exist.

She tells MPs that there is now a "more diverse Parliament than ever" but this is not enough unless it leads to "meaningful changes to women's lives".

She pledges the government's determination in "empowering women in the workplace and tackling violence against women and girls, urging: "We must press for progress."

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The rest of the day in the Commons is devoted to International Women's Day, which is celebrated on 8 March every year and is the subject of an annual debate in the House.

International Women's Day, first celebrated in 1911, is a day on which women's achievements are recognised in countries around the world.

The idea is to celebrate how far women have come in the fight for gender equality but also to flag up the many areas where progress has not been made.

This year's event - the 107th International Women's Day, is being marked by protests, including a "feminist strike" in Spain.