If you’ve opened a paper, turned on the radio or watched TV today, then you can’t have failed to see that today is International Women’s Day. I think it’s important to highlight the plight of women in under-developed nations, and to look again at the massive health and economic challenges that many women face around the world.

However, here in the UK the occasion is being used by Labour’s rabid “equality” agenda to slap men around for not employing enough women, or for lingering too long on Page 3 of The Sun. I wish they’d spend half as much energy celebrating Commonwealth Day, for it is today, and the liberal middle-class guilt about Britain’s colonial past means that not a lot of people are mentioning it.

One person, however, was not going to let the day pass without a few wise words. Her Majesty the Queen has delivered her annual Commonwealth Address, to all those fortunate enough to have her as their magnificent Head of State. In her address, the Queen speaks of the massive importance of technology in bringing her Commonwealth together.

Developments in communication mean that the world is accessible and connected; whether it’s a medical centre in the Himalayas or a school in the South Pacific. The Queen also speaks of the great benefits that communication technology can have on the fortunes of small businesses, and general economic development. Perhaps most strikingly, we are told that over half the population of the Commonwealth are under 25. It is this generation that takes Facebook, Blackberries, Twitter, YouTube and the internet for granted in most countries. But we can see the incredible effects of the internet in places like Iran, where the “Green Movement” communicated with the world via Twitter and YouTube. I’ve seen for myself the great work that Commonwealth projects are delivering around the world, bringing young people together for lasting partnerships. This is what should be celebrated.

For millions of young people, the Commonwealth gives them a chance to be part of something bigger than their village, town or country. It represents a shared history and a bright future. Members of Conservative Future, and young people in general, should know more about the Commonwealth and the great work it does in uniting young people all over the world.

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