When I look at my daughter, who's 24, she is much more confident than I ever was and her expectations are higher. But I worry that there is a backlash brewing against progress on equality.

In February 2013 Frances O'Grady was assessed as the 11th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She was a fan of drama and by the age of 17 was also learning about the world of work. Her grandfather was a founder member of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union and her father was a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Cowley.