FEBRUARY marked the 100-year anniversary of female suffrage in the UK and we have been celebrating the centenary of the extension of the vote to women.

We have also recently had International Women’s Day. We should welcome the progress towards a more equal society but there is still a long way to go before Britain is a nation of fully equal people.

In the last 100 years there have obviously been massive changes for the role of women in society. Women are more equal, treated more fairly, and face fewer obstacles. But the job is not yet done. Women are not yet truly equal, are not yet treated fairly, and still face obstacles in daily life. Women still suffer from a gender pay gap, and the experiences of women ranging from domestic abuse to sanitary towel or period poverty are often ignored.

Yet I would argue that if we fail to listen to women’s experiences, then we also fail to listen even more to the experiences of men. The way we see and treat an individual, whatever their sex or gender, impacts on how we see all individuals. If we, as a society, pay no attention to experiences of women, then we fail the males badly. The fact that suicide is the major cause of death amongst younger men, and the increasing incidence of prostate cancer amongst males are ignored. We now need to be part of a society and community that allows all voices to be heard, and all experiences and issues that arise to have a hearing. At the moment we are a long way from that.

Some liberals will argue that reform of the political system is important. Vince Cable, no spring chicken, has convincingly argued to extend the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds, and to reform our broken electoral system so that every vote counts and all voices can properly be heard. Certainly, the granting of voting rights to 16-plus in Scotland has led to an increased participation and interest in politics and the democratic process. It is all very well to complain about the young not taking an interest or voting, but we should be taking steps to address it. As a former professional soldier, I find it strange that I can fight, kill and die for my country, but am considered too irresponsible to vote. Citizenship confers responsibilities but also rights.

There is a danger however in assuming that granting political rights is the end all or be all. Attitudes take much longer to change.

We also need to look at both our formal and informal structures, which are often too homogeneous – in terms of gender, race, and difference of opinion. These are dangerous in themselves as they often lead to groupthink. In the short term, I believe that good manners are the way to go. Treating all individuals as individuals who deserve courtesy, and treating others as you would wish to be treated is not a bad place to start.

Luigi Gregori, Charlton Road, Andover.