Hundreds of women from all walks of life descended on Westminster on Wednesday, to mark the moment women first got the right to stand for parliament 100 years ago.

Theresa May told a gathering of female politicians from around the world that “a woman’s place is in elected office” as she urged them to work together to make sure their voices were heard.

A young Bosnian MP who denounced her uncle’s war crimes, a member of the Syrian opposition and a Gambian women’s rights campaigner are among the female parliamentarians who will sit in the House of Commons chamber this week.

John McDonnell said he wanted a woman to become the next leader of the Labour party, a day after senior party figures were accused of failing to take allegations of sexual harassment seriously enough.

More than 100 female politicians from around the world, from Afghanistan to the Vatican, will sit in the House of Commons for a landmark event to mark the centenary of women first winning the right to vote in the UK.