There will hopefully come a time when three women elected to represent Northern Ireland at such a high level in Europe will not be noteworthy simply because of their gender.
However, we are not at that place yet and so it is worth reflecting on the changing landscape here in terms of gender balance in politics.
All three MEPs, Diane Dodds, Naomi Long and Martina Anderson were not elected - or for that matter selected - because of their gender.
They are all capable, if very different women, two with an already proven track record in Brussels.
Standing on the platform in the very unglamorous surroundings of Magherafelt leisure centre this week they were joined on stage by Northern Ireland’s current Chief Electoral Officer Virginia McVea.
A powerful woman in her own right who was praised for the efficiency in which the election was conducted and counted, albeit a day later than the rest of Europe because … never on a Sunday.
There are conflicting arguments around whether women in public life are a good thing for rights of others in general.
I am not of the opinion that women possess attributes that don’t exist in their male counterparts or vice versa.
But I do think that women in the public eye continue to be held to a much higher standard.
Flaws in high profile men are considered quirks, eccentricities, acceptable character traits.
The voting public view men of dubious moral character such as Boris Johnson as lovable eccentrics.
They would never be as forgiving or accepting of a high-profile female politician behaving in a similar manner.
America elected Donald Trump knowing his past record, those well-known recorded conversations that showed a lack of respect for those women unfortunate enough to cross his path, while at the same time we saw Hillary Clinton criticised not for her own character flaws but those of her husband.
Not only are women held to a higher standard they are also expected to take full responsibility for the behaviour of any man in their life.
Contrast that to the outpouring of sympathy that Peter Robinson was met with when he spoke publicly about his wife Iris’s indiscretions.
Selecting and electing female politicians is not a panacea to all social discrimination and inequality.
Diane Dodds remains loyal to the DUP policies against social change that would make life more equal for women in Northern Ireland.
And of course, the most high-profile female politician of all time was far from a feminist and was known to have pulled the ladder up behind her.
The BBC’s excellent and amusingly gossipy series Thatcher: A Very British Revolution gives insight into a very remarkable time.
There are little glimpses of the past coming back to shape the present, the treatment of current Prime Minister Theresa May by her own party bears more than a passing resemblance to Thatcher’s demise.
In announcing her resignation Mrs May said that her successor should remember that compromise is not a dirty word. To Mrs Thatcher it was practically an obscenity.
But what the programme also showed were the various hoops that she had to jump through to make her electable in the first place.
Changing her voice and appearance, constantly being asked what impact her high profile role was having on her family in a way that a male politician wouldn’t have been asked then or now.
When a high-profile woman has no children they are painted as cold and ruthlessly ambitious. When they do, they are constantly asked about how they are fulfilling their professional role and their parental duties and discriminated against as a result.
Mediocre men have held powerful positions for years with patronage and the patriarchy to thank for it. Women have always been judged at a much higher standard.
We shouldn’t still be talking about this, it shouldn’t still be newsworthy, but right now it is.
The visibility of women not just in politics but all aspects of public life makes others see that it is possible. Visibility of successful women is the key to normalising and securing future access for all.
I’ll stop writing about inequality when women and girls are treated equally, it’s really as simple as that.
Right now, they are not, right now there are still barriers to break down and battles to be fought.
And the sight of three successful female politicians on their way to Europe to represent the north, whether you agree with their politics or not, is something worth noting.
