Ahead of council elections on Thursday, research by the BBC has found that Reading Borough Council is one of only a few in England that has a female majority of councillors.

The council has 25 female and 20 male councillors. But a census by the Local Government Association suggests about two thirds of councillors are men.

But does gender make a difference in local politics?

We invited Labour councillor Jo Lovelock, Conservative councillor Clare Grashoff and Lib Dem councillor Meri O'Connell to discuss their experiences.

You can find a full list of candidates standing in the local elections in Reading here.

Video journalist: Adam Paylor