TO celebrate the centenary of women achieving the right to vote, Northwood College for Girls pupils took part in their own march.

They also voted on an issue raised by the school’s head of history and politics: ‘Should it be a requirement that 50% of the UK Parliament is female’ (compared to the current figure of just 32%)?

More than 600 girls, aged 7-18, seized their placards and Votes for Women sashes before marching across the school field to have their say in the debate.

Headmistress Jacqualyn Pain said: “We owe so much to the achievements of the courageous campaigners for women’s suffrage.

“I am delighted to see our whole school pay respect to their incredible sacrifices, all of which have helped shape the world in which we live today and have empowered our girls to be given the chance to be everything they can be.”

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Nine-year-old Ziyana Kassam said: “I vote NO. If the number of women needs to be equal to the number of men, then some poor men will lose their jobs.”

Ten-year-old Sophia Shah said: “I vote YES as women should be equally represented in Parliament.”

Olivia Evans, 17, said: “I vote NO because people should vote women into Parliament because they want them to be there, not because they have to have them there.” 

Sofia Dacosta, voting YES, commented: “I feel this needs to be enforced because, if politics continues to be so male-dominated, young women will be put off trying to gain a place in Parliament.”

In the end, the NO team won the overall vote, with 336 votes to 258.