In the run up to the EU referendum on June 23, the Guardian is asking people for their views on whether the UK should leave or remain.

Here we speak to Green MEP Jean Lambert from Walthamstow on why staying in the EU is good for women.

“One of the founding values of the European Union is gender equality. There is a great body of EU legal protection which benefits women every day.

“Although the UK passed the Equal Pay Act in 1970, it was not until the EU took the government to court in 1982 that British women won the right to equal pay for equal work.

“Similarly, although the government made paid maternity leave statutory in 1975 this was only for women who had been in their job for two years. It was EU law that extended paid maternity leave to all women.

“Now EU law guarantees women cannot be dismissed or their role be reduced while on maternity leave. EU law gives the right to paid time off to attend antenatal appointments and the right to be moved to alternative work if there is a risk to mother or baby.

“EU rules ensure part-time workers have the same conditions as those of full-time workers, and give rights to temporary agency workers.

“European laws also safeguard many other things important to women. Europe has some of the most stringent laws on chemicals, food, plastics, cosmetics and other products. The EU brought in a blanket ban on cosmetics animal testing.

“Our beaches, water and wildlife are safer because of EU rules. The EU is rightly taking legal action against the UK for London’s air pollution. Working jointly in the EU we can more effectively combat climate change.

“Leave campaigners will argue that we would keep these rules after a Brexit. But there are no guarantees future UK governments won’t cut regulations they deem ‘red-tape’ for competitiveness-at-all-costs outside the EU.

“By remaining in the EU we can make sure these safeguards stay in place. And we can work together across Europe to strengthen them, to end gender inequality once and for all, and to protect the planet and future generations.”