This week marks 100 years since women won the right to vote and parliament finally opened its doors to female politicians.

Now the UK has more female MPs than ever before - with a third of the seats.

But when compared against the rest of the world Britain ranks just 37th.

The suffragettes breakthrough in 1918 led to the first female MP being elected - and the following year Nancy Astor took her seat in the Commons.

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100 years ago the suffragettes fought for women's right to vote (
Image:
PA)
Diane Abbott is Shadow Home Secretary (
Image:
PA)

But while it was a victory for women, progress was still slow.

When Harriet Harman was elected in 1982 there were only 19 female MPs.

It was not until last year that a larger majority won their constituencies - with women taking 208 of the 650 seats.

Although there have been other successes for women with Margaret Thatcher becoming the longest serving Prime Minister in Britain - and Theresa May also heading up the government - these figures means Britain ranks just 37th in the list of countries with the highest number of female MPs.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the first ever female in that position (
Image:
AFP)

According to figures released by the UN last year here are how many women are in politics around the world.

1. Rwanda (Country) 61.3% (Percentage of female MPs) 49/80 (Number of seats)

2. Bolivia 53.1% 69/130

3. Cuba 48.9% 299/612

4. Iceland 47.6% 30/63

5. Nicaragua 45.7% 42/92

6. Sweden 43.6% 152/349

7. Senegal 42.7% 64/150

8. Mexico 42.6% 213/500

9. Finland 42.0% 84/200

9. South Africa 42.0% 167/398

11. Ecuador 41.6% 57/137

12. Namibia 41.3% 43/104

13. Mozambique 39.6% 99/250

13. Norway 39.6% 67/169

15. Spain 39.1% 137/350

16. Argentina 38.9% 100/257

17. Ethiopia 38.8% 212/547

18. Timor-Leste 38.5% 25/65

19. Angola 38.2% 84/220

20. Belgium 38.0% 57/150

20. Netherlands 38.0% 57/150
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has told how promoting women's equality is one of her top priorities in government (
Image:
PA)

22. Denmark 37.4% 67/179

23. Germany 37.0% 233/630

24. Slovenia 36.7% 33/90

25. Burundi 36.4% 44/121

25. United Republic of Tanzania 36.4% 143/393

27. Costa Rica 35.1% 20/57

28. Portugal 34.8% 80/230

29. Belarus 34.5% 38/110

30. Serbia 34.4% 86/250

31. Uganda 34.3% 154/449

32. New Zealand 34.2% 41/120

33. Grenada 33.3% 5/15

34. Zimbabwe 32.6% 88/270

35. Switzerland 32.5% 65/200

36. Andorra 32.1% 9/28

36. El Salvador 32.1% 27/84

37. United Kingdom 32.0% 208/650

38. Guyana 31.9% 22/69

39. The F.Y.R. of Macedonia 31.7% 38/120

40. Algeria 31.6% 146/462

41. Tunisia 31.3% 68/217

42. Cameroon 31.1% 56/180

43. Italy 31.0% 195/630

43. Trinidad and Tobago 31.0% 13/42

45. Austria 30.6% 56/183

46. Sudan 30.5% 130/426

47. Nepal 29.6% 176/595

48. Philippines 29.5% 86/292

59. Australia 28.7% 43/150

50. South Sudan 28.5% 109/383
Margaret Thatcher was the longest serving Prime Minister (
Image:
PA)

51. Luxembourg 28.3% 17/60

52. Poland 28.0% 129/460

53. Afghanistan 27.7% 69/249

53.Peru 27.7% 36/130

55. Israe l 27.5% 33/120

55. Lao People’s Dem. Republic 27.5% 41/149

57. Kazakhstan 27.1% 29/107

58. Dominican Republic 26.8% 51/190

59. Estonia 26.7% 27/101

59. VietNam 26.7% 132/494

61. Canada 26.3% 88/335

62. France 25.8% 149/577

62. Honduras 25.8% 33/128

62. Turkmenistan 25.8% 32/124

65. Suriname 25.5% 13/51

66. Iraq 25.3% 83/328

67. Mauritania 25.2% 37/147

68. Dominica 25.0% 8/32

68. Lesotho 25.0% 30/120

70. Somalia 24.2% 64/264

71. Equatorial Guinea 24.0% 24/100

72. Singapore 23.8% 24/101

73. China 23.7% 0699/2949

74. Cabo Verde 23.6% 17/72

75. Montenegro 23.5% 19/81

76. San Marino 23.3% 14/60

77. Albania 22.9% 32/140

78. Republic of Moldova 22.8% 23/101

79. Ireland 22.2% 35/158

79. Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep. of) 22.2% 37/167
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry (
Image:
PA)

81. Eritrea 22.0% 33/150

82. Guinea 21.9% 25/114

83. Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.4% 9/42

84. Lithuania 21.3% 30/141

85. Seychelles 21.2% 7/33

86. Monaco 20.8% 5/24

87. Romania 20.7% 68/329

88. Pakistan 20.6% 70/340

89. Morocco 20.5% 81/395

90. Bangladesh 20.3% 71/350

90. Cambodia 20.3% 25/123

92. Uruguay 20.2% 20/99

93. Czechia 20.0% 40/200

93. Slovakia 20.0% 30/150

93. United Arab Emirates 20.0% 8/40

96. Croatia 19.9% 30/151

96. Saudi Arabia 19.9% 30/151

98. Indonesia 19.8% 111/560

99. Kenya 19.4% 68/350

100. Bulgaria 19.2% 46/240

100. Kyrgyzstan 19.2% 23/120

100. Madagascar 19.2% 29/151

103. United States of America 19.1% 83/435

104. Tajikistan 19.0% 12/63

105. Colombia 18.7% 31/166

106. Greece 18.3% 55/300

106. Panama 18.3% 13/71

108. Sao Tome and Principe 18.2% 10/55

109. Zambia 18.0% 30/167

110. Cyprus 17.9% 10/56
Emmeline Pankhurst was thrown in a cell for her campaigning to secure the vote for women (
Image:
Hulton Archive)

111. Togo 17.6% 16/91

112. Jamaica 17.5% 11/63

113. Gabon 17.1% 20/117

113. Mongolia 17.1% 13/76

115. Niger 17.0% 29/171

115. Republic of Korea 17.0% 51/300

117. Azerbaijan 16.8% 21/125

118. Barbados 16.7% 5/30

118. Malawi 16.7% 32/192

118. Saint Lucia 16.7% 3/18

121. Dem. People’s Rep. of Korea 16.3% 112/687

122. Fiji 16.0% 8/50

122. Georgia 16.0% 24/150

122. Latvia 16.0% 16/100

122. Libya 16.0% 30/188

122. Uzbekistan 16.0% 24/150

127. Chile 15.8% 19/120

127. Russian Federation 15.8% 71/450

129. Jordan 15.4% 20/130

130. Egyp t 14.9% 89/596

130. Turkey 14.9% 82/550

132. Paraguay 13.8% 11/80

133. Guinea-Bissau 13.7% 14/102

134. Saint Kitts and Nevis 13.3% 2/15

135. Bahamas 13.2% 5/38

135. Syrian Arab Republic 13.2% 33/250

137. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.0% 3/23

138. Chad 12.8% 24/188

139. Ghana 12.7% 35/275

139. Guatemala 12.7% 20/158
Alice Hawkins grew increasingly frustrated that women were treated as second class citizens and joined the Suffragette movement in 1907 (
Image:
Collect Unknown)

141. Malta 12.5% 7/72

141. Palau 12.5% 2/16

143. Sierra Leone 12.4% 15/121

144. Liberia 12.3% 9/73

144. Ukraine 12.3% 52/423

146. Liechtenstein 12.0% 3/25

147. India 11.8% 64/542

148. Mauritius 11.6% 8/69

149. Côte d’Ivoire 11.5% 29/253

150. Antigua and Barbuda 11.1% 2/18

151. Burkina Faso 11.0% 14/127

152. Djibouti 10.8% 7/65

153. Braz il 10.7% 55/513

154. Nauru 10.5% 2/19

155. Malaysia 10.4% 23/222

156. Myanmar 10.2% 44/433

157. Hungary 10.1% 20/199

158. Samoa 10.0% 5/50

159. Armenia 9.9% 13/131

160. Botswana 9.5% 6/63

161. Gambia 9.4% 5/53

162. Japan 9.3% 44/475

163. Brunei Darussalam 9.1% 3/33

163. Marshall Islands 9.1% 3/33

165. Dem. Republic of the Congo 8.9% 44/492

166. Mali 8.8% 13/147

167. Central African Republic 8.6% 12/140

168. Bhutan 8.5% 4/47

169. Bahrain 7.5% 3/40

170. Congo 7.4% 10/136

171. Benin 7.2% 6/83

172. Tuvalu 6.7% 1/15

173. Kiribati 6.5% 3/46

174. Swaziland 6.2% 4/65

175. Comoros 6.1% 2/33

176. Iran (Islamic Republic of) 5.9% 17/289

176. Maldives 5.9% 5/85

178. Sri Lanka 5.8% 13/225

179. Nigeria 5.6% 20/360
A statue of suffragette Alice Hawkins was unveiled in Leicester to mark the special milestone (
Image:
PA)

180. Thailand 4.9% 12/247

181. Tonga 3.8% 1/26

182. Belize 3.1% 1/32

182. Kuwait 3.1% 2/65

182.Lebanon 3.1% 4/128

185. Papua New Guinea 2.7% 3/111

186. Haiti 2.6% 3/117

187. Solomon Islands 2.0% 1/50

188. Oman 1.2% 1/85

189. Micronesia ( Federated States of) 0.0% 0/14

189. Qatar 0.0% 0/35

189. Vanuatu 0.0% 0/52

189. Yemen 0.0% 0/275

To mark the commemoration of the Representation of the People Act 1918, a women's suffrage coin has been created - showing Emmeline Pankhurst on a 50p.

And a bronze statue has also been unveiled in Leicester of suffragette Alice Hawkins too.