15,000 women marched through New York City in 1908 demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. 100 years on, the pertinence of this event is honored through IWD's 2008 global theme 'Shaping Progress'.

Saturday is International Women's Day. The UK Parliament have given today over to discussing the way women's lives have historically been shaped by things outside of their control, the progress made and the progress yet to be made. How might you contribute to "shaping progress" on this important issue, either in your own community or wider in the world where women continue to suffer from prejudice and inappropriate discrimination?

For the first time in my VP year I was approached by a man on Monday who asked whether I felt guilty that I had been put in a leadership position over men. I said no, that I had felt a call which had been tested by the Church and I was very comfortable with the situation. When he pursued his point I reminded him of St Paul's words that "in Christ there is no male or female". He politely shook my hand and left but it made me realise that there is still work to do.