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10:06
Baroness Lloyd of Effra, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Labour)
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Baroness Lloyd of Effra, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Labour)
>> My Lords, motion >> My Lords, motion for >> My Lords, motion for debate, international Women's day. Baroness Lloyd of Effra.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Dear. My Lords, it's a pleasure to be opening today's International opening today's International Women's Day debate on behalf of the government. As my noble Lords all know, the theme of this year's International Women's Day is give to gain. This day is about celebrating the power of solidarity and camaraderie. It's about adhering to the words proclaimed by Millicent Fawcett, the same words inscribed on her statue in Parliament Square, just a stone's throw away from here. Courage calls to courage everywhere.
It's about recognising that when women thrive, we all rise. And I believe this is that is true of this place. Both chambers are of a very different composition to the ones I knew in the 1990s, when I first started working in Westminster. Back then, around 10% of the seats in the other place were held by women. Last year, that figure stood at roughly 40%. We've seen a similarly positive trend in this House. Female membership has steadily risen from below 10% in the early 90s to over 30% today, and I'm looking forward to hearing the maiden speeches at the debate today from my noble friends Baroness Linforth Baroness MacLeod of Lord Darroch, Baroness Martin of Brockley, Baroness Nargund and Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush.
And I'm proud to serve in a government where the positions of the Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary are all occupied by brilliant women, as are the Secretaries of State for Wales science and culture. So our representation has changed for the better. Our economy has changed for the better too. Top British companies are leading the way for gender equality in boardrooms. Women occupy over 43% of roles on the FTSE 350 boards as of last year, and our society has changed for the better.
The UK ranks fourth in the global Gender Gap Index. All of that is cause for celebration and optimism. But my Lords, we all know there is still more to do. And that extends to the places where economic power lies today. The industries that are that are, that are at the forefront of tomorrow's economy. We have much more to do to further women's rights and opportunities in the UK and around the world, which is why this government is working to prioritise women's health, working with the Women's Health Ambassador to deliver our ten year health plan at work, we are putting in stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers at work and tackling maternal inequality, maternity inequality.
We are also improving the system of parental leave, making flexible working more easily available through our plan to make work play, and we are taking the first steps towards requiring employers to publish an action plan alongside their gender pay gap, reporting through the Employment Rights Act. And we are tackling violence against women and girls with a focus on education and prevention, pursuing perpetrators and supporting victims through our landmark strategy. And today, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the achievements of Jill Saward as we mark 40 years since her harrowing attack in 1986.
I pay tribute to a woman whose courage shifted the national conversation surrounding sexual violence. She transformed the horrific trauma she endured into a catalyst for systemic change, and became a pioneering voice, helping to dismantle the long standing taboos around sexual violence that silence countless victims. She campaigned for essential reforms to our justice system that were so desperately required. We owe her and many who continue her vital work, a debt of profound gratitude, and our commitment is to continue to tackle violence against women and girls.
However, if my noble Lords will permit me, I will use my remaining time to speak of some of the initiatives my ministerial portfolio covers. Initiatives to strengthen the role of women in the workplace, in our economy, and in our society. I want to start with digital inclusion and the tech sector. We know the UK's tech sector is a massive growth driver. We're one of only three countries in the world to have a tech sector valued at over $1 trillion, but it isn't working for all.
Not everyone can access its opportunities. Only 29% of UK tech employees are women. One of the groups I work most closely with in my role as the cyber security industry. Now that industry has a workforce of 143,000 people and only 17% of women, worse still, every year we lose an estimated 2 to 3.5 billion in economic activity because women leave the tech sector or change jobs due to barriers that should not exist. So we have our work cut out for us because at the current pace, it will take 283 years before women make up an equal share of the tech workforce.
We want to right this wrong and our ambition is clear. We want to unlock the full potential of Britain's tech sector. Why? Because diverse teams don't just create more equitable workplaces, they deliver better outcomes. Different perspectives drive breakthrough solutions and help technology serve all communities, not just some. So how are we delivering on our ambitions? Well, we're backing initiatives like Codefirst Girls and Capslock. They specialise in helping women to access cyber and text roles. We have also the Tech First programme, with £187 million of investment to strengthen our domestic tech skills pipeline.
This is about recruiting and supporting high potential individuals from across the UK, starting in schools through to university, then research and employment. At its core, Tech First is about giving people access to brilliant tech jobs, the jobs of the future, with the programme acting as a significant driver to support women and girls. We are keen to play our part with industry. This isn't about government going it alone, it's about businesses stepping up, which is why I'm glad IBM took over from the government on delivering the annual Cyberfirst girls competition.
Last year's competition reached more than 10,000 girls between the ages of 12 to 13, across 500 secondary schools in the UK. It's a fantastic example of industry leading, leading from the front. We have set up the new Women in Tech Taskforce. Its mission is to dismantle barriers to education, training and career progression. It will deliver practical solutions for government and industry to implement together shaping policy that levels the playing field and it will help us to reverse those economic losses I mentioned a moment ago losses that stem from women leaving the tech sector due to barriers that shouldn't exist.
We are also taking action to fix the finance gap for women led businesses. One of the ways we're doing this is through the Invest in Women Taskforce. This is about backing women led businesses, ensuring they are front and centre of this government's growth. Mission. The Invest in Women's Taskforce funding pool is the largest of any kind in the world, at an impressive £630 million of institutional capital, all grown since this government came into office. And this government is putting our money where our mouths are.
With £130 million invested by the British Business Bank. But it's not the only way we're supporting female entrepreneurship. The British Business Bank, which backs the taskforce, also runs a number of its own empowering initiatives. The bank's £400 million Investor Pathways capital programme is an example. It's reducing barriers to entry for new and emerging fund managers. We know that women are twice as likely to back women led businesses than men, which is why 50% of this capital is ring fenced for female fund managers.
The banks diverse Angel syndicate initiative also encourages a wide group of investors to back early stage businesses. The figures from the programme's pilot were impressive. 185 new angel investors were engaged, 176 of them were female. It's a strong example of the British Business Bank channelling investment to women led small businesses with big ambitions. When those founders succeed, our economy succeeds, our country succeeds, which is why the government is shining a bright light on successful female founders at every possible opportunity.
Indeed, the Department of Business and Trade says venture capital unit runs an annual initiative called wave, which does exactly that. It spotlights ten innovative female led businesses from across the UK and runs a programme of pitch days and workshops with them. So in sum, my Lords, it's right this International Women's Day that we look back on what has been achieved. We acknowledge how attitudes have changed in Britain. We have a government which is the most gender balanced in our nation's history.
But with that honour comes a responsibility. The onus is on us to drive further progress. So I am looking forward to the debate that will follow. I have one final ask of this House. Please help us champion these initiatives I've spoken about today. Help us inspire more women and girls to go as far in life as their talent and ambitions will take them. Let us give so all can gain.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Dear. My Lords, it's a pleasure to be opening today's International opening today's International Women's Day debate on behalf of the government. As my noble Lords all know, the theme of this year's International Women's Day is give to gain. This day is about celebrating the power of solidarity and camaraderie. It's about adhering to the words proclaimed by Millicent Fawcett, the same words inscribed on her statue in Parliament Square, just a stone's throw away from here. Courage calls to courage everywhere.
It's about recognising that when women thrive, we all rise. And I believe this is that is true of this place. Both chambers are of a very different composition to the ones I knew in the 1990s, when I first started working in Westminster. Back then, around 10% of the seats in the other place were held by women. Last year, that figure stood at roughly 40%. We've seen a similarly positive trend in this House. Female membership has steadily risen from below 10% in the early 90s to over 30% today, and I'm looking forward to hearing the maiden speeches at the debate today from my noble friends Baroness Linforth Baroness MacLeod of Lord Darroch, Baroness Martin of Brockley, Baroness Nargund and Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush.
And I'm proud to serve in a government where the positions of the Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary are all occupied by brilliant women, as are the Secretaries of State for Wales science and culture. So our representation has changed for the better. Our economy has changed for the better too. Top British companies are leading the way for gender equality in boardrooms. Women occupy over 43% of roles on the FTSE 350 boards as of last year, and our society has changed for the better.
The UK ranks fourth in the global Gender Gap Index. All of that is cause for celebration and optimism. But my Lords, we all know there is still more to do. And that extends to the places where economic power lies today. The industries that are that are, that are at the forefront of tomorrow's economy. We have much more to do to further women's rights and opportunities in the UK and around the world, which is why this government is working to prioritise women's health, working with the Women's Health Ambassador to deliver our ten year health plan at work, we are putting in stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers at work and tackling maternal inequality, maternity inequality.
We are also improving the system of parental leave, making flexible working more easily available through our plan to make work play, and we are taking the first steps towards requiring employers to publish an action plan alongside their gender pay gap, reporting through the Employment Rights Act. And we are tackling violence against women and girls with a focus on education and prevention, pursuing perpetrators and supporting victims through our landmark strategy. And today, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the achievements of Jill Saward as we mark 40 years since her harrowing attack in 1986.
I pay tribute to a woman whose courage shifted the national conversation surrounding sexual violence. She transformed the horrific trauma she endured into a catalyst for systemic change, and became a pioneering voice, helping to dismantle the long standing taboos around sexual violence that silence countless victims. She campaigned for essential reforms to our justice system that were so desperately required. We owe her and many who continue her vital work, a debt of profound gratitude, and our commitment is to continue to tackle violence against women and girls.
However, if my noble Lords will permit me, I will use my remaining time to speak of some of the initiatives my ministerial portfolio covers. Initiatives to strengthen the role of women in the workplace, in our economy, and in our society. I want to start with digital inclusion and the tech sector. We know the UK's tech sector is a massive growth driver. We're one of only three countries in the world to have a tech sector valued at over $1 trillion, but it isn't working for all.
Not everyone can access its opportunities. Only 29% of UK tech employees are women. One of the groups I work most closely with in my role as the cyber security industry. Now that industry has a workforce of 143,000 people and only 17% of women, worse still, every year we lose an estimated 2 to 3.5 billion in economic activity because women leave the tech sector or change jobs due to barriers that should not exist. So we have our work cut out for us because at the current pace, it will take 283 years before women make up an equal share of the tech workforce.
We want to right this wrong and our ambition is clear. We want to unlock the full potential of Britain's tech sector. Why? Because diverse teams don't just create more equitable workplaces, they deliver better outcomes. Different perspectives drive breakthrough solutions and help technology serve all communities, not just some. So how are we delivering on our ambitions? Well, we're backing initiatives like Codefirst Girls and Capslock. They specialise in helping women to access cyber and text roles. We have also the Tech First programme, with £187 million of investment to strengthen our domestic tech skills pipeline.
This is about recruiting and supporting high potential individuals from across the UK, starting in schools through to university, then research and employment. At its core, Tech First is about giving people access to brilliant tech jobs, the jobs of the future, with the programme acting as a significant driver to support women and girls. We are keen to play our part with industry. This isn't about government going it alone, it's about businesses stepping up, which is why I'm glad IBM took over from the government on delivering the annual Cyberfirst girls competition.
Last year's competition reached more than 10,000 girls between the ages of 12 to 13, across 500 secondary schools in the UK. It's a fantastic example of industry leading, leading from the front. We have set up the new Women in Tech Taskforce. Its mission is to dismantle barriers to education, training and career progression. It will deliver practical solutions for government and industry to implement together shaping policy that levels the playing field and it will help us to reverse those economic losses I mentioned a moment ago losses that stem from women leaving the tech sector due to barriers that shouldn't exist.
We are also taking action to fix the finance gap for women led businesses. One of the ways we're doing this is through the Invest in Women Taskforce. This is about backing women led businesses, ensuring they are front and centre of this government's growth. Mission. The Invest in Women's Taskforce funding pool is the largest of any kind in the world, at an impressive £630 million of institutional capital, all grown since this government came into office. And this government is putting our money where our mouths are.
With £130 million invested by the British Business Bank. But it's not the only way we're supporting female entrepreneurship. The British Business Bank, which backs the taskforce, also runs a number of its own empowering initiatives. The bank's £400 million Investor Pathways capital programme is an example. It's reducing barriers to entry for new and emerging fund managers. We know that women are twice as likely to back women led businesses than men, which is why 50% of this capital is ring fenced for female fund managers.
The banks diverse Angel syndicate initiative also encourages a wide group of investors to back early stage businesses. The figures from the programme's pilot were impressive. 185 new angel investors were engaged, 176 of them were female. It's a strong example of the British Business Bank channelling investment to women led small businesses with big ambitions. When those founders succeed, our economy succeeds, our country succeeds, which is why the government is shining a bright light on successful female founders at every possible opportunity.
Indeed, the Department of Business and Trade says venture capital unit runs an annual initiative called wave, which does exactly that. It spotlights ten innovative female led businesses from across the UK and runs a programme of pitch days and workshops with them. So in sum, my Lords, it's right this International Women's Day that we look back on what has been achieved. We acknowledge how attitudes have changed in Britain. We have a government which is the most gender balanced in our nation's history.
But with that honour comes a responsibility. The onus is on us to drive further progress. So I am looking forward to the debate that will follow. I have one final ask of this House. Please help us champion these initiatives I've spoken about today. Help us inspire more women and girls to go as far in life as their talent and ambitions will take them. Let us give so all can gain.
10:15
Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Conservative)
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Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Conservative)
Question is that this motion be
**** Possible New Speaker ****
agreed to. Yes. My Lords. It's a great honour to open this debate on International Women's Day on behalf of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, an opportunity both to celebrate the countless celebrate the countless contributions of women and to reflect on the work that still lies ahead here at home, obviously in ahead here at home, obviously in Wales and across the world. We will no doubt hear stories from across the house of women who have shaped the house of women who have shaped us in our own lives and who contribute every day to our society, and with the indulgence of the house.
I shall speak to you about some Welsh women who have shaped our history. But in particular I pay tribute to my noble friends, Lady Owen of Alderley Edge and Lady Burton, for their tireless work on the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen protections for women, particularly in the online space. Some of the material we have confronted has been deeply disturbing and should give us all pause for thought. These harms do not affect only women and girls. They shape attitudes and relationships more broadly, distorting how men and boys understand intimacy and respect.
My Lords, women are not commodities nor targets for abuse. They are equal in worth and dignity, and they must be treated as such in every corner of our society. We are so grateful for the dedication of our female peers across the House Strategy, focusing on educating girls, empowering women and ending gender based violence. Under that strategy, 80% of the FCDO's bilateral aid programmes are required to focus on gender equality by 2030. We are proud of this record, and we are pleased that the current government continues to commit to this target, but we must also take a long, hard look to what is happening in our own patch too.
We've come a long way in this country, and we owe so much to those who came before us. Coincidentally, it was on this day in 1806 that the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born. Her own success as a woman inspired others like Emily Dickinson, and she used her talent to advocate not only for women but also for other causes, such as the abolition of slavery in the United States. I would like to the United States. I would like to pay tribute to the female entrepreneurs of this country who continue to innovate, employ and lead, often while navigating different barriers to their male counterparts.
Yet the economic picture does give us cause for concern. According to PwC's 2026 Women in Work Index, which assesses women's labour market outcomes, the UK has moved up one place, but largely due to declines in other countries performance. Female unemployment has risen from 3.5% to 4.2%, while the youth female unemployment has increased from 9.5% to 11.8%. And that trend should concern us all. My Lords, it is not good enough to turn a blind eye. We must do more to ensure that all women and girls in this country enjoy the same hard fought freedoms, opportunities and standards that we across this House enjoy.
What is needed is a new Cultural and Integration Commission, which will provide an interim report later this year. We're doing the serious work to propose real solutions, not for political point scoring, but because it's the right thing to do. Now, no speech of mine would be complete without reference to Wales. My Cumbrian gonadal on Lord Roe of West Wickham Wales is a nation of storytellers, so I would like to reflect on the lives of some remarkable Welsh women whose courage, ingenuity and service have shaped not only Wales but our wider national story.
Let's start with the women of Fishguard, who repelled the last invasion of Britain in 1797. And I bet not many noble Lords knew that. Dressed in traditional Welsh costume, dark dresses, tall black steeple crowned hats, hats and red shawls, they formed a conspicuous line along the cliffs, which, in poor light and at a distance the French mistook for ranks of red coated soldiers. Faced with what they believed to be overwhelming British reinforcements, the invaders lost heart and soon agreed to surrender.
But if we go back to the 12th century, when Gwenllian Griffith, Princess of Deheubarth, who is remembered for her leadership in 1136 as her husband fought elsewhere, she led an army against the Norman invaders. She fell in battle, but her name endured as a rallying rallying cry. Gwenllian. Revenge for Gwenllian. In an age when women's voices were rarely recorded, her example of courage, sacrifice, and resistance still speaks to us today about the cost of defending a nation's identity.
Fast forward four centuries and we find another woman whose influence ran not through arms but through kinship and land. Catherine of Berain, a 16th century noblewoman of North Wales. Catherine married extremely well four times, and through these alliances linked together many of the most powerful families of the region. She has sometimes been called mama, mother of Wales, because so many Welsh gentry and political figures trace their descent through her. She reminds us that power is not only exercised in parliaments or on battlefields.
It is also woven quietly through households, estates and communities, and that the women who manage those networks were architects of Welsh society in their own right. In the 18th and 19th century, Welsh women helped to propel the Industrial Revolution. Lucy Thomas, the mother of the Welsh steam coal trade, was a businesswoman from the heart of the coalfield. After her husband's death, she took charge of the coal business, drove the development of markets for Welsh steam, and helped to prove to sceptical buyers the superiority of Welsh coal, a resource that would power ships, railways and industry across the world.
From the grime of the coalfield to the horror of the battlefield hospital in the Crimean War. The name Betsi Cadwaladr deserves to stand alongside that of Florence Nightingale. Born in Bala, Betsi volunteered as a nurse in the Crimea. She insisted on practical sanitation, decent food and humane care for ordinary soldiers. Her methods and her determination saved lives and transformed conditions for Welsh and English soldiers alike. Today, the largest health board in Wales bears her name, a fitting tribute to this woman.
In the 20th century, Welsh women stepped decisively into political and public leadership. Margaret Haig Thomas, Lady Rhondda, was a suffragette, a business leader and a tireless campaigner for women's rights. Imprisoned for militancy. She survived, survived the sinking of the Lusitania, and then rebuilt her life by taking a leading role in Welsh industry and journalism. She became one of the most prominent advocates for allowing women to sit in the House of Lords, and whilst that cause would not be realised in her lifetime, it is to pioneers like Lady Rhondda that today's women peers own a owe a profound debt.
Megan Lloyd George, the daughter of Prime Minister, built her own formidable political career. In 1929, she became Wales's first female Member of Parliament, representing Anglesey. She was an eloquent advocate for Welsh culture, for rural communities, for social justice and for a stronger recognition of Wales within the United Kingdom. In Megan Lloyd George, we see a template for principled Welsh parliamentarians passionate about their nation yet deeply engaged in the wider challenges facing Britain and the world. The Davies sisters, inheritance of great wealth chose to invest in an assembling one of the finest collections of Impressionist art in Europe, most of which they gifted to the National Museum of Wales.
Their philanthropy ensured that a miner's child in Cardiff could stand before a monet or Renoir, and know that world class art belonged not just to London or Paris, but to Wales. And finally I turn to a voice known across the globe. Dame Shirley Bassey, born in Tiger Bay, daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother, she rose from a dockland community to become one of the most recognisable singers of the 20th century and a great philanthropist too. My Lords, these women span nine centuries.
They came from palaces and farmsteads, ironworks and coalfields, chapels and tenements. So Welsh history is not solely a tale of kings, princes and industrial magnates. It is enriched by these women too. They show that by giving women access to power, whether economic, political, educational or cultural, this enlarges the common good. When women own, can own and manage property, they built networks that held communities together when they could train as doctors and nurses, they transformed public health when they could vote, stand for Parliament and sit in this House.
They broadened the range of voices shaping our laws. The story of these Welsh women is, in truth, a story about the benefits of equality. And in honouring them, we also affirm a simple truth that the story of Wales, like the story of Britain, is at its best when the talents of all its people, women as well as men, are recognised, encouraged and allowed to flourish. I commend their legacy to the House and I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Lloyd of EFRA, for bringing forward this debate, and I look forward to hearing the rest of noble Lords contributions after.
noble Lords contributions after.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
agreed to. Yes. My Lords. It's a great honour to open this debate on International Women's Day on behalf of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, an opportunity both to celebrate the countless celebrate the countless contributions of women and to reflect on the work that still lies ahead here at home, obviously in ahead here at home, obviously in Wales and across the world. We will no doubt hear stories from across the house of women who have shaped the house of women who have shaped us in our own lives and who contribute every day to our society, and with the indulgence of the house.
I shall speak to you about some Welsh women who have shaped our history. But in particular I pay tribute to my noble friends, Lady Owen of Alderley Edge and Lady Burton, for their tireless work on the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen protections for women, particularly in the online space. Some of the material we have confronted has been deeply disturbing and should give us all pause for thought. These harms do not affect only women and girls. They shape attitudes and relationships more broadly, distorting how men and boys understand intimacy and respect.
My Lords, women are not commodities nor targets for abuse. They are equal in worth and dignity, and they must be treated as such in every corner of our society. We are so grateful for the dedication of our female peers across the House Strategy, focusing on educating girls, empowering women and ending gender based violence. Under that strategy, 80% of the FCDO's bilateral aid programmes are required to focus on gender equality by 2030. We are proud of this record, and we are pleased that the current government continues to commit to this target, but we must also take a long, hard look to what is happening in our own patch too.
We've come a long way in this country, and we owe so much to those who came before us. Coincidentally, it was on this day in 1806 that the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born. Her own success as a woman inspired others like Emily Dickinson, and she used her talent to advocate not only for women but also for other causes, such as the abolition of slavery in the United States. I would like to the United States. I would like to pay tribute to the female entrepreneurs of this country who continue to innovate, employ and lead, often while navigating different barriers to their male counterparts.
Yet the economic picture does give us cause for concern. According to PwC's 2026 Women in Work Index, which assesses women's labour market outcomes, the UK has moved up one place, but largely due to declines in other countries performance. Female unemployment has risen from 3.5% to 4.2%, while the youth female unemployment has increased from 9.5% to 11.8%. And that trend should concern us all. My Lords, it is not good enough to turn a blind eye. We must do more to ensure that all women and girls in this country enjoy the same hard fought freedoms, opportunities and standards that we across this House enjoy.
What is needed is a new Cultural and Integration Commission, which will provide an interim report later this year. We're doing the serious work to propose real solutions, not for political point scoring, but because it's the right thing to do. Now, no speech of mine would be complete without reference to Wales. My Cumbrian gonadal on Lord Roe of West Wickham Wales is a nation of storytellers, so I would like to reflect on the lives of some remarkable Welsh women whose courage, ingenuity and service have shaped not only Wales but our wider national story.
Let's start with the women of Fishguard, who repelled the last invasion of Britain in 1797. And I bet not many noble Lords knew that. Dressed in traditional Welsh costume, dark dresses, tall black steeple crowned hats, hats and red shawls, they formed a conspicuous line along the cliffs, which, in poor light and at a distance the French mistook for ranks of red coated soldiers. Faced with what they believed to be overwhelming British reinforcements, the invaders lost heart and soon agreed to surrender.
But if we go back to the 12th century, when Gwenllian Griffith, Princess of Deheubarth, who is remembered for her leadership in 1136 as her husband fought elsewhere, she led an army against the Norman invaders. She fell in battle, but her name endured as a rallying rallying cry. Gwenllian. Revenge for Gwenllian. In an age when women's voices were rarely recorded, her example of courage, sacrifice, and resistance still speaks to us today about the cost of defending a nation's identity.
Fast forward four centuries and we find another woman whose influence ran not through arms but through kinship and land. Catherine of Berain, a 16th century noblewoman of North Wales. Catherine married extremely well four times, and through these alliances linked together many of the most powerful families of the region. She has sometimes been called mama, mother of Wales, because so many Welsh gentry and political figures trace their descent through her. She reminds us that power is not only exercised in parliaments or on battlefields.
It is also woven quietly through households, estates and communities, and that the women who manage those networks were architects of Welsh society in their own right. In the 18th and 19th century, Welsh women helped to propel the Industrial Revolution. Lucy Thomas, the mother of the Welsh steam coal trade, was a businesswoman from the heart of the coalfield. After her husband's death, she took charge of the coal business, drove the development of markets for Welsh steam, and helped to prove to sceptical buyers the superiority of Welsh coal, a resource that would power ships, railways and industry across the world.
From the grime of the coalfield to the horror of the battlefield hospital in the Crimean War. The name Betsi Cadwaladr deserves to stand alongside that of Florence Nightingale. Born in Bala, Betsi volunteered as a nurse in the Crimea. She insisted on practical sanitation, decent food and humane care for ordinary soldiers. Her methods and her determination saved lives and transformed conditions for Welsh and English soldiers alike. Today, the largest health board in Wales bears her name, a fitting tribute to this woman.
In the 20th century, Welsh women stepped decisively into political and public leadership. Margaret Haig Thomas, Lady Rhondda, was a suffragette, a business leader and a tireless campaigner for women's rights. Imprisoned for militancy. She survived, survived the sinking of the Lusitania, and then rebuilt her life by taking a leading role in Welsh industry and journalism. She became one of the most prominent advocates for allowing women to sit in the House of Lords, and whilst that cause would not be realised in her lifetime, it is to pioneers like Lady Rhondda that today's women peers own a owe a profound debt.
Megan Lloyd George, the daughter of Prime Minister, built her own formidable political career. In 1929, she became Wales's first female Member of Parliament, representing Anglesey. She was an eloquent advocate for Welsh culture, for rural communities, for social justice and for a stronger recognition of Wales within the United Kingdom. In Megan Lloyd George, we see a template for principled Welsh parliamentarians passionate about their nation yet deeply engaged in the wider challenges facing Britain and the world. The Davies sisters, inheritance of great wealth chose to invest in an assembling one of the finest collections of Impressionist art in Europe, most of which they gifted to the National Museum of Wales.
Their philanthropy ensured that a miner's child in Cardiff could stand before a monet or Renoir, and know that world class art belonged not just to London or Paris, but to Wales. And finally I turn to a voice known across the globe. Dame Shirley Bassey, born in Tiger Bay, daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother, she rose from a dockland community to become one of the most recognisable singers of the 20th century and a great philanthropist too. My Lords, these women span nine centuries.
They came from palaces and farmsteads, ironworks and coalfields, chapels and tenements. So Welsh history is not solely a tale of kings, princes and industrial magnates. It is enriched by these women too. They show that by giving women access to power, whether economic, political, educational or cultural, this enlarges the common good. When women own, can own and manage property, they built networks that held communities together when they could train as doctors and nurses, they transformed public health when they could vote, stand for Parliament and sit in this House.
They broadened the range of voices shaping our laws. The story of these Welsh women is, in truth, a story about the benefits of equality. And in honouring them, we also affirm a simple truth that the story of Wales, like the story of Britain, is at its best when the talents of all its people, women as well as men, are recognised, encouraged and allowed to flourish. I commend their legacy to the House and I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Lloyd of EFRA, for bringing forward this debate, and I look forward to hearing the rest of noble Lords contributions after.
noble Lords contributions after.
10:25
Baroness D'Souza (Crossbench)
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Baroness D'Souza (Crossbench)
My Lords. Let me begin by acknowledging this, and indeed the previous governments significant commitment to women and girls around the world, and in particular to their education. That said, my Lords, programmes to prevent violence against women and to promote women's rights and freedoms promote women's rights and freedoms remains in a sorry state and likely to further deteriorate with the new Oda funding cuts. This arises due to the continuing and shocking attacks on women, together with a global reduction in overseas aid for programmes of prevention.
My for programmes of prevention. My Lords, gender equality remains elusive. Women's rights are the hardest fought and the first to go, and nowhere is this more true than in Afghanistan. I return again and again to the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan without any apology, which is because it is the only country in the world that strictly forbids secondary and tertiary education for girls, and excludes women from the workforce. My Lords, it is firmly established that education of girls and women is a magic bullet of development.
Development on many, many fronts in Evitably follows a focus on educating girls and this has proved the world over. The current statistics for Afghanistan are, however, very dismal. Something like 2.2 million girls are banned from secondary school. 93% of all children fail to achieve basic reading proficiency by the end of primary school. Recent research shows that those schools that have a higher proportion of teachers with a university education are significantly better in terms of good student outcomes, especially good student outcomes, especially in language learning.
Afghanistan still has one of the largest workforce gender gaps in the world. Only 24% of women participate in the labour force, as compared to the labour force, as compared to 89% of men. Almost 80% of young Afghan women are neither in Afghan women are neither in education, employment or training. The longer term impact of this cruel deprivation is that a dearth of trained women in midwifery and health care means that there will be no female practitioners as surgeons, midwives, nurses and primary health care for the foreseeable future, thereby, my Lords affecting all Afghan women who cannot accept health care delivered by males.
Women are not only excluded but punished for any transgressions of the Taliban codes. I should add that many girls are now faced with the choice of an unwelcome early marriage, developing mental health issues caused by confinement within the family home or in some tragic incidences. Suicide. The financial divide is equally stark, with women precluded from having a bank account or access to mobile money services. There are no women in the de facto Cabinet or in local offices. My Lords, it is difficult to assess conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan as a whole.
The degree to which the Taliban codes are implemented varies from one region to another. There are many modest initiatives run by NGO partners of the major multilateral and bilateral donors and by the private sector, but these programmes are vulnerable and often subject to the whims of local Taliban commanders, or carried out under clandestine conditions. We know that many thousands of families are being repatriated from us, from Afghanistan. Afghan families from Pakistan. Many of them are female headed groups lacking any resources at all.
We know that climate change has caused severe drought in the last for the last six years, as well as severe flooding leading to other disasters such as landslides. And now Afghanistan faces war with Pakistan. It is clear that Afghanistan suffers chronic economic, political, climate, environmental. It's the second most mined country in the world. Food and gender stresses. It's estimated that 36%. That's 17.7 million of the population. Face crisis levels of food insecurity. The country's isolation means, amongst many other issues, a lack of accurate and timely information to know who's most in need and where they are and what channels remain open to provide assistance.
The future looks bleak by Lord Singh immediately. However, the plea is that this government continue and even increase its investment in girls education, no matter the scarcity of fundings. Given the uncertainty of Taliban interference, a focus on improving, in some cases radically, the teaching in primary schools will pay dividends. There is good evidence to show that younger children are key in educating other family members, including their parents. There is, too, in some regions of Afghanistan, a growth in so-called secret as well as online, secondary and even tertiary education.
And these initiatives deserve investment. Above all, we have to keep in mind that education is the one sure way a country and its citizens can achieve a future for themselves. We can and must do this.
My for programmes of prevention. My Lords, gender equality remains elusive. Women's rights are the hardest fought and the first to go, and nowhere is this more true than in Afghanistan. I return again and again to the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan without any apology, which is because it is the only country in the world that strictly forbids secondary and tertiary education for girls, and excludes women from the workforce. My Lords, it is firmly established that education of girls and women is a magic bullet of development.
Development on many, many fronts in Evitably follows a focus on educating girls and this has proved the world over. The current statistics for Afghanistan are, however, very dismal. Something like 2.2 million girls are banned from secondary school. 93% of all children fail to achieve basic reading proficiency by the end of primary school. Recent research shows that those schools that have a higher proportion of teachers with a university education are significantly better in terms of good student outcomes, especially good student outcomes, especially in language learning.
Afghanistan still has one of the largest workforce gender gaps in the world. Only 24% of women participate in the labour force, as compared to the labour force, as compared to 89% of men. Almost 80% of young Afghan women are neither in Afghan women are neither in education, employment or training. The longer term impact of this cruel deprivation is that a dearth of trained women in midwifery and health care means that there will be no female practitioners as surgeons, midwives, nurses and primary health care for the foreseeable future, thereby, my Lords affecting all Afghan women who cannot accept health care delivered by males.
Women are not only excluded but punished for any transgressions of the Taliban codes. I should add that many girls are now faced with the choice of an unwelcome early marriage, developing mental health issues caused by confinement within the family home or in some tragic incidences. Suicide. The financial divide is equally stark, with women precluded from having a bank account or access to mobile money services. There are no women in the de facto Cabinet or in local offices. My Lords, it is difficult to assess conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan as a whole.
The degree to which the Taliban codes are implemented varies from one region to another. There are many modest initiatives run by NGO partners of the major multilateral and bilateral donors and by the private sector, but these programmes are vulnerable and often subject to the whims of local Taliban commanders, or carried out under clandestine conditions. We know that many thousands of families are being repatriated from us, from Afghanistan. Afghan families from Pakistan. Many of them are female headed groups lacking any resources at all.
We know that climate change has caused severe drought in the last for the last six years, as well as severe flooding leading to other disasters such as landslides. And now Afghanistan faces war with Pakistan. It is clear that Afghanistan suffers chronic economic, political, climate, environmental. It's the second most mined country in the world. Food and gender stresses. It's estimated that 36%. That's 17.7 million of the population. Face crisis levels of food insecurity. The country's isolation means, amongst many other issues, a lack of accurate and timely information to know who's most in need and where they are and what channels remain open to provide assistance.
The future looks bleak by Lord Singh immediately. However, the plea is that this government continue and even increase its investment in girls education, no matter the scarcity of fundings. Given the uncertainty of Taliban interference, a focus on improving, in some cases radically, the teaching in primary schools will pay dividends. There is good evidence to show that younger children are key in educating other family members, including their parents. There is, too, in some regions of Afghanistan, a growth in so-called secret as well as online, secondary and even tertiary education.
And these initiatives deserve investment. Above all, we have to keep in mind that education is the one sure way a country and its citizens can achieve a future for themselves. We can and must do this.
10:30
The Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops)
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The Lord Bishop of Derby (Bishops)
Amen. Amen. >> Amen. Amen. >> My Lord. It's an honour to speak today, and I particularly look today, and I particularly look forward to hearing so many maiden speeches. I've been reflecting on the theme of this year's International Women's Day. Give to gain a seat in your Lordship house is a powerful platform, but whatever voice or influence we may have, it is not for ourselves. It is to be used to secure gains for others. Noble Lords will be aware that these benches have made some progress in recent years towards gender parity.
There are eight women currently on our benches, soon to be nine, the highest number England's first female bishop. I know that opening a door is both a powerful and a humbling act, particularly as we rejoice in the appointment and forthcoming installation of my noble friend, the Most Reverend Prime Minister, our first female Archbishop of Canterbury. My Lord, I was raised in the diocese. It's now my privilege to serve as bishop, and I'm fortunate to have been shaped by and now surrounded by exceptional women.
Women in Derby and Derbyshire are leaders in education, public service, health, business, agriculture, community action across so many sections. Wonderful women, all who give to gain, particularly to change opportunity, access and investment in girls to change their and therefore all our futures for good. Derby city has adopted the theme City of Pioneers to reflect its prominent place in our nation's industrial heritage. But the region has also been pioneering in other ways, not least in the place and influence of women.
Our own House of Lords library has estimated it will take roughly 100 years to achieve gender parity in managerial and senior leadership roles. I'm pleased that Derby and Derbyshire seems ahead of the curve. My faith has inspired and enabled me to open doors for others, and it is a profoundly positive influence in my life. But I recognise that many women who give of themselves to support other women do so in profoundly painful circumstances. I want to thank the Minister for naming the legacy of Jill Saward today, as we mark the 40th anniversary of that heinous attack.
Jill was the daughter of a parish priest in Ealing. She was raped during the violent burglary of of the vicarage, her family home. We're very conscious of the risk and responsibility that our clergy take, women and men as they give of themselves and their households to serve their local communities. Jill was the first woman to waive her right to anonymity and testified in subsequent trials sparked has paved the way for a monumental shift in those following four decades towards a survivors of sexual violence and influence changes in the law, which we here continue to work on today.
I spoke to her former husband, Gavin, ahead of today's debate. There's much more we must do to end violence against women and girls. I currently serve on your Lordships Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee. A note many of my fellow committee members here in their places today, and I hope we can make strides towards a safer world for in the recommendations we make to government. My Lords, just over half the world's population are currently observing either Ramadan or Lent, and so it seems appropriate in this holy season of repentance and prayer to recognise how much further we have to go.
Women have always been involved in struggle, embroiled in geopolitical events at the centre of transformation domestically, locally, nationally, internationally, whether on the front line or in leading efforts in reconciliation and healing. This lent, the Gospel of John reminds us that Mary of Magdala was the first on the scene as witness to the resurrection, amidst and despite unimaginable trauma and suffering, she found herself responsible for the act of bearing witness. She summoned the strength to spread the word, share her testimony, and pay this gift of good news forward.
My Lords, I trust that the many words spoken here today will translate into action for good as we give to gain your. My Lord.
There are eight women currently on our benches, soon to be nine, the highest number England's first female bishop. I know that opening a door is both a powerful and a humbling act, particularly as we rejoice in the appointment and forthcoming installation of my noble friend, the Most Reverend Prime Minister, our first female Archbishop of Canterbury. My Lord, I was raised in the diocese. It's now my privilege to serve as bishop, and I'm fortunate to have been shaped by and now surrounded by exceptional women.
Women in Derby and Derbyshire are leaders in education, public service, health, business, agriculture, community action across so many sections. Wonderful women, all who give to gain, particularly to change opportunity, access and investment in girls to change their and therefore all our futures for good. Derby city has adopted the theme City of Pioneers to reflect its prominent place in our nation's industrial heritage. But the region has also been pioneering in other ways, not least in the place and influence of women.
Our own House of Lords library has estimated it will take roughly 100 years to achieve gender parity in managerial and senior leadership roles. I'm pleased that Derby and Derbyshire seems ahead of the curve. My faith has inspired and enabled me to open doors for others, and it is a profoundly positive influence in my life. But I recognise that many women who give of themselves to support other women do so in profoundly painful circumstances. I want to thank the Minister for naming the legacy of Jill Saward today, as we mark the 40th anniversary of that heinous attack.
Jill was the daughter of a parish priest in Ealing. She was raped during the violent burglary of of the vicarage, her family home. We're very conscious of the risk and responsibility that our clergy take, women and men as they give of themselves and their households to serve their local communities. Jill was the first woman to waive her right to anonymity and testified in subsequent trials sparked has paved the way for a monumental shift in those following four decades towards a survivors of sexual violence and influence changes in the law, which we here continue to work on today.
I spoke to her former husband, Gavin, ahead of today's debate. There's much more we must do to end violence against women and girls. I currently serve on your Lordships Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee. A note many of my fellow committee members here in their places today, and I hope we can make strides towards a safer world for in the recommendations we make to government. My Lords, just over half the world's population are currently observing either Ramadan or Lent, and so it seems appropriate in this holy season of repentance and prayer to recognise how much further we have to go.
Women have always been involved in struggle, embroiled in geopolitical events at the centre of transformation domestically, locally, nationally, internationally, whether on the front line or in leading efforts in reconciliation and healing. This lent, the Gospel of John reminds us that Mary of Magdala was the first on the scene as witness to the resurrection, amidst and despite unimaginable trauma and suffering, she found herself responsible for the act of bearing witness. She summoned the strength to spread the word, share her testimony, and pay this gift of good news forward.
My Lords, I trust that the many words spoken here today will translate into action for good as we give to gain your. My Lord.
10:36
Baroness Nargund (Labour)
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Baroness Nargund (Labour)
It's a profound. and Baroness Lister across this House for the first time. I begin with gratitude to Black Rod Gautam, the Clerk of Parliament, security teams and all those who serve this great institution. Thank you for your kindness, patience and guidance. And a special word for the doorkeepers who have gently rescued me more than once in this magnificent but bewildering corridors. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my sponsors, Lord Kinnock and Baroness Harman, dear friends whom I deeply respect.
They embody conviction, politics, and a lifetime of principled public service. I also pay tribute to my noble friends, the Leader of the House, Baroness Smith, and the Chief Whip Lord Kennedy, for for their generous support and formidable leadership. I thank noble Lords and Baroness across this House for their warm welcome. To me. It is a privilege to sit in this House among such experience and wisdom. My Lords, my journey to this chamber began far from Westminster, in a small village of Sati in Karnataka in southwest India.
I was raised in a family rooted in Gandhian principles. My mother's family stood against caste discrimination and superstition, and my father's family joined the non-violent struggle for India's freedom, justice, equality and service. They were not aspirations, service. They were not aspirations, they were expectations. My mother, Rukmini, still remains my greatest Rukmini, still remains my greatest influence. When I was born, she sent sweets to the entire village. My Lords, in those days, that celebration was reserved for sons.
With that simple act, she made a quiet declaration. Daughters deserve equal celebration. That belief in equality has guided my life. Over 40 years ago, my husband and I came to Britain as junior doctors to work in the National Health Service, Labour's birth child and Britain's greatest institution. For nearly three decades, I served as a lead consultant in reproductive medicine at Saint George's Hospital in Tooting, Tooting, the community I was privileged to serve and Wimbledon, my home for many years and where I joined the Labour Party, will always remain close to my heart.
Late nights, unpredictable, summoned at any time. My Lords, I'm not describing my years delivering babies on the Labour ward, but my first weeks here delivering was. My Lords. I bring over 40 years of frontline medical and academic experience, an understanding of how our health system works across sectors, and how it can be made more efficient and equitable. As vice chair of the British Red cross, I work to tackle health inequalities at home and supported humanitarian efforts internationally.
As a trustee of the London Emergencies Trust, I helped families affected by Grenfell tragedy. Those experiences reinforced a simple truth compassion must be matched by competence. Institutions must not only care, they must deliver. Throughout my career, I have worked to improve women's reproductive choices and justice by developing safer and more affordable treatments and innovative technology to increase global access. My Lords, innovation matters only when it reaches those in greatest need. The best health care must not be a privilege for the few, but a right for all.
And it should be free. My Lords, in this debate for International Women's Day, it is especially poignant for me to make my maiden speech around the world, sometimes closer to home, than we would wish. Women's rights remain fragile, as we have just heard. Women's health remains persistently under prioritised closing. The gender health gap is both a moral duty and an economic necessity. I'm determined to play my part in advancing that cause. My Lords, that a girl born in a small Indian village could serve as a senior leader across all sectors, lead a global movement, increasing accessibility and women's safety in reproductive care, and now sit in this House speaks to the very best of Britain.
Its tolerance, fairness, decency and its capacity to embrace those who come to serve here. That is the Britain I believe in. Not a hatred.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yes. But one strengthened by diversity and shared purpose. My diversity and shared purpose. My Lords, I wouldn't be here today without the support of my husband, without the support of my husband, we know, and my son Praful, who are watching from the gallery. Praful watching from the gallery. Praful has been my constant advisor. I'm proud of his unwavering commitment to social mobility and his tireless work ethic. I also remember with deep affection the late Baroness Mobarik McDonnell, a remarkable woman who inspired and mentored so many and whom I dearly miss, my Lords, I have long been guided by a simple principle be the change you wish to see.
I will bring that spirit to my work in this House to reduce health inequalities, to champion women's causes, and to uphold the values of fairness, compassion and service that define this country at its very best.
They embody conviction, politics, and a lifetime of principled public service. I also pay tribute to my noble friends, the Leader of the House, Baroness Smith, and the Chief Whip Lord Kennedy, for for their generous support and formidable leadership. I thank noble Lords and Baroness across this House for their warm welcome. To me. It is a privilege to sit in this House among such experience and wisdom. My Lords, my journey to this chamber began far from Westminster, in a small village of Sati in Karnataka in southwest India.
I was raised in a family rooted in Gandhian principles. My mother's family stood against caste discrimination and superstition, and my father's family joined the non-violent struggle for India's freedom, justice, equality and service. They were not aspirations, service. They were not aspirations, they were expectations. My mother, Rukmini, still remains my greatest Rukmini, still remains my greatest influence. When I was born, she sent sweets to the entire village. My Lords, in those days, that celebration was reserved for sons.
With that simple act, she made a quiet declaration. Daughters deserve equal celebration. That belief in equality has guided my life. Over 40 years ago, my husband and I came to Britain as junior doctors to work in the National Health Service, Labour's birth child and Britain's greatest institution. For nearly three decades, I served as a lead consultant in reproductive medicine at Saint George's Hospital in Tooting, Tooting, the community I was privileged to serve and Wimbledon, my home for many years and where I joined the Labour Party, will always remain close to my heart.
Late nights, unpredictable, summoned at any time. My Lords, I'm not describing my years delivering babies on the Labour ward, but my first weeks here delivering was. My Lords. I bring over 40 years of frontline medical and academic experience, an understanding of how our health system works across sectors, and how it can be made more efficient and equitable. As vice chair of the British Red cross, I work to tackle health inequalities at home and supported humanitarian efforts internationally.
As a trustee of the London Emergencies Trust, I helped families affected by Grenfell tragedy. Those experiences reinforced a simple truth compassion must be matched by competence. Institutions must not only care, they must deliver. Throughout my career, I have worked to improve women's reproductive choices and justice by developing safer and more affordable treatments and innovative technology to increase global access. My Lords, innovation matters only when it reaches those in greatest need. The best health care must not be a privilege for the few, but a right for all.
And it should be free. My Lords, in this debate for International Women's Day, it is especially poignant for me to make my maiden speech around the world, sometimes closer to home, than we would wish. Women's rights remain fragile, as we have just heard. Women's health remains persistently under prioritised closing. The gender health gap is both a moral duty and an economic necessity. I'm determined to play my part in advancing that cause. My Lords, that a girl born in a small Indian village could serve as a senior leader across all sectors, lead a global movement, increasing accessibility and women's safety in reproductive care, and now sit in this House speaks to the very best of Britain.
Its tolerance, fairness, decency and its capacity to embrace those who come to serve here. That is the Britain I believe in. Not a hatred.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yes. But one strengthened by diversity and shared purpose. My diversity and shared purpose. My Lords, I wouldn't be here today without the support of my husband, without the support of my husband, we know, and my son Praful, who are watching from the gallery. Praful watching from the gallery. Praful has been my constant advisor. I'm proud of his unwavering commitment to social mobility and his tireless work ethic. I also remember with deep affection the late Baroness Mobarik McDonnell, a remarkable woman who inspired and mentored so many and whom I dearly miss, my Lords, I have long been guided by a simple principle be the change you wish to see.
I will bring that spirit to my work in this House to reduce health inequalities, to champion women's causes, and to uphold the values of fairness, compassion and service that define this country at its very best.
10:42
Baroness Goudie (Labour)
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Baroness Goudie (Labour)
A my Lords, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate my great friend Geeta Nagar on her speech and joining this house. And we were brought together by one great friend of all of ours in this house, Margaret McDonagh. And we are very sad every year that she's not here, or even every day not with us, to tell us what we should be doing. You know, we miss her greatly. And also by my daughter in law, Vanessa Elliott, who's a consultant at Saint George's, and both she and Geeta worked with Margaret in her time when she was not well, both of them were fantastic to her, and I think everybody in this House should know that, amongst other things, Geeta is a great campaigner.
She's campaigned not only in this country for better vaccinations for people, people who don't know she's campaigned during Covid for people to ensure they had the right vaccinations besides Covid vaccination, but just never to miss. Her work with the universities is enormous, and also her work as pro-vice Chancellor of Portsmouth University and also her work with women's health at the City of Saint George's University. But her main work, which she's really well known for, is her research and her work on IVF, the IVF treatment that she has founded and helped to work on is not only just in this country, but is helping women and men in Africa and other countries who never had the choice or the thought that this would be available through Greta's great work.
This has been made available and today continues. And she continues with this, and she will also continue giving us hassle on this issue in this House and amongst other things. Thank you for being here with us. It's great. Hear, here. Yeah. My Lords, today, as we know, International Women's Day, I would like to thank everybody for having the country, for having this debate and for our leadership on what we are doing for women. And I would like to declare my interest as a founder and an advisor and an ambassador to the Georgetown Institute for women, Peace and Security.
And as we know, there are more women today suffering trials of war. And it is women who bear the brunt of war. As we sit here today, we think of what they are going through, what they are having to do to try to look after their families. In this situation. The UN theme for International Women's Day this year is rights, justice, action for all Women and Girls, and that is their theme. I welcome as a strong reminder that rights do not maintain themselves.
They depend on services, enforcement, political choices and for us to stand up for women and girls around the planet whose rights are unfulfilled every single day. My Lords, I wanted to take time today to reflect on the developments for women and girls over the last year. To me, three developments stand out. My Lords. First, the squeeze on global sexual and reproductive health programs. The United States has historically been the largest donor government for family planning, but the drastic pivot from USAID that froze and then cancelled most global and then cancelled most global family planning projects in 2025 is still seeking to eliminate the still seeking to eliminate the funding for 2026.
My Lords, we have already been seeing the consequences of this decision. consequences of this decision. Review led by the Clinton Health Access Initiative, found that USAID Access Initiative, found that USAID ended its reproductive health work early in 2025. Partner countries their preferred contraceptive methods were sometimes unavailable. My Lords, one family planning provider in West Africa, told them it is heartbreaking to turn women away when I know they came far distances for this service. UNFPA reported that in 2025, funding cash cuts forced more than 100,000 1000 UNFPA supported clinics and mobile teams to shut down or come close to closure, and more than 250 safe spaces for women and girls close.
As UNFPA stated, the impact is clear as these services are the front line of maternal care, providing midwives post-rape treatment supplies for pain relief and emergency deliveries kits. Second, I would like to draw my attention. Your attention, as one of our colleagues has already done this morning on Afghanistan. Afghanistan remains the only country where secondary and higher education is forbidden to girls and women, and Unesco and Unicef estimate that 2.2 million adolescent girls are banned from secondary education.
Unicef has warned that in the context, when women and girls can only be medically treated, has warned sorry has warned women dying. Denying girls education today means denying women healthcare tomorrow and also the GDP of Afghanistan, when it eventually is able to get going again, would be devastated without women being educated. Women in 20 2526 Women Peace and Security Index produced by Georgetown Institute for women, Peace and Security and Partners, Afghanistan ranks 180. It ranks 181 countries and finds the global progress stalling and ranks Afghanistan last.
I urge the government to make use of its valuable, this valuable document and to produce which is produced annually. My Lords. Thirdly, I want to I want to point out to the international cooperation that is still possible. In October 2025, France hosted the fourth Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, bringing together participants from 55 countries. It concluded with a joint declaration signed by 31 states, reaffirming commitments to gender equality, and the United Kingdom joined the Feminist Foreign Policy Group alongside the countries of Morocco, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Turning towards the United Kingdom. My Lords, I welcome decisions to remove the two child benefit cap limit to Universal Credit from from April 2025. Government analysis suggests that that would mean that 450,000 fewer children living on relatively low income by two by 2030. We all know, my Lords, that child poverty is not is not gender neutral and it lands first on mothers and carers, especially single mothers. My Lords, I also welcome the renewal of the Women's Health Strategy and its decision to include menopause questions on national health checks expected to benefit nearly 5 million women.
And I welcome menopause action plans becoming part of an employment policy becoming mandatory from 2027. This is a huge move forward for all women and their families. Finally, we contribute. We convert the fast growing threat to women's equality. Technology facilitated abuse. Ofcom reports that 99% and we heard the other night even more of infinite images reported to the revenge porn helpline are of women and 99% of deepfake intimate images. Abuse affects women. The National Police Chiefs Council has warned that sexual abuses and deepfakes are thought to have increased in prevalence by nearly 2000.
Between 2019 and 2024. There is. The government has brought into force the offence of creating or requesting non-consensual intimate images and is threatening priority offences online. We need enforcement, victim support and platform accountability. My Lords, International Women's Day is, of course, a celebration of achievements of women every day, but it is also a reminder of the rights required services. Justice requires access and action requires political will and already takes place in government, in budgets, in diplomacy. And now we choose to keep women safe.
Thank you.
She's campaigned not only in this country for better vaccinations for people, people who don't know she's campaigned during Covid for people to ensure they had the right vaccinations besides Covid vaccination, but just never to miss. Her work with the universities is enormous, and also her work as pro-vice Chancellor of Portsmouth University and also her work with women's health at the City of Saint George's University. But her main work, which she's really well known for, is her research and her work on IVF, the IVF treatment that she has founded and helped to work on is not only just in this country, but is helping women and men in Africa and other countries who never had the choice or the thought that this would be available through Greta's great work.
This has been made available and today continues. And she continues with this, and she will also continue giving us hassle on this issue in this House and amongst other things. Thank you for being here with us. It's great. Hear, here. Yeah. My Lords, today, as we know, International Women's Day, I would like to thank everybody for having the country, for having this debate and for our leadership on what we are doing for women. And I would like to declare my interest as a founder and an advisor and an ambassador to the Georgetown Institute for women, Peace and Security.
And as we know, there are more women today suffering trials of war. And it is women who bear the brunt of war. As we sit here today, we think of what they are going through, what they are having to do to try to look after their families. In this situation. The UN theme for International Women's Day this year is rights, justice, action for all Women and Girls, and that is their theme. I welcome as a strong reminder that rights do not maintain themselves.
They depend on services, enforcement, political choices and for us to stand up for women and girls around the planet whose rights are unfulfilled every single day. My Lords, I wanted to take time today to reflect on the developments for women and girls over the last year. To me, three developments stand out. My Lords. First, the squeeze on global sexual and reproductive health programs. The United States has historically been the largest donor government for family planning, but the drastic pivot from USAID that froze and then cancelled most global and then cancelled most global family planning projects in 2025 is still seeking to eliminate the still seeking to eliminate the funding for 2026.
My Lords, we have already been seeing the consequences of this decision. consequences of this decision. Review led by the Clinton Health Access Initiative, found that USAID Access Initiative, found that USAID ended its reproductive health work early in 2025. Partner countries their preferred contraceptive methods were sometimes unavailable. My Lords, one family planning provider in West Africa, told them it is heartbreaking to turn women away when I know they came far distances for this service. UNFPA reported that in 2025, funding cash cuts forced more than 100,000 1000 UNFPA supported clinics and mobile teams to shut down or come close to closure, and more than 250 safe spaces for women and girls close.
As UNFPA stated, the impact is clear as these services are the front line of maternal care, providing midwives post-rape treatment supplies for pain relief and emergency deliveries kits. Second, I would like to draw my attention. Your attention, as one of our colleagues has already done this morning on Afghanistan. Afghanistan remains the only country where secondary and higher education is forbidden to girls and women, and Unesco and Unicef estimate that 2.2 million adolescent girls are banned from secondary education.
Unicef has warned that in the context, when women and girls can only be medically treated, has warned sorry has warned women dying. Denying girls education today means denying women healthcare tomorrow and also the GDP of Afghanistan, when it eventually is able to get going again, would be devastated without women being educated. Women in 20 2526 Women Peace and Security Index produced by Georgetown Institute for women, Peace and Security and Partners, Afghanistan ranks 180. It ranks 181 countries and finds the global progress stalling and ranks Afghanistan last.
I urge the government to make use of its valuable, this valuable document and to produce which is produced annually. My Lords. Thirdly, I want to I want to point out to the international cooperation that is still possible. In October 2025, France hosted the fourth Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, bringing together participants from 55 countries. It concluded with a joint declaration signed by 31 states, reaffirming commitments to gender equality, and the United Kingdom joined the Feminist Foreign Policy Group alongside the countries of Morocco, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Turning towards the United Kingdom. My Lords, I welcome decisions to remove the two child benefit cap limit to Universal Credit from from April 2025. Government analysis suggests that that would mean that 450,000 fewer children living on relatively low income by two by 2030. We all know, my Lords, that child poverty is not is not gender neutral and it lands first on mothers and carers, especially single mothers. My Lords, I also welcome the renewal of the Women's Health Strategy and its decision to include menopause questions on national health checks expected to benefit nearly 5 million women.
And I welcome menopause action plans becoming part of an employment policy becoming mandatory from 2027. This is a huge move forward for all women and their families. Finally, we contribute. We convert the fast growing threat to women's equality. Technology facilitated abuse. Ofcom reports that 99% and we heard the other night even more of infinite images reported to the revenge porn helpline are of women and 99% of deepfake intimate images. Abuse affects women. The National Police Chiefs Council has warned that sexual abuses and deepfakes are thought to have increased in prevalence by nearly 2000.
Between 2019 and 2024. There is. The government has brought into force the offence of creating or requesting non-consensual intimate images and is threatening priority offences online. We need enforcement, victim support and platform accountability. My Lords, International Women's Day is, of course, a celebration of achievements of women every day, but it is also a reminder of the rights required services. Justice requires access and action requires political will and already takes place in government, in budgets, in diplomacy. And now we choose to keep women safe.
Thank you.
10:51
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative)
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Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative)
My Lords. May I begin by thanking the noble Lady Minister Baroness Lloyd of Effra, for tabling this important day. And may I congratulate the noble Lady Baroness Nargund on her excellent maiden speech. May I add my own Wimbledon Wombles? Welcome to the noble Lady and I look forward to working with her on all matters Wimbledon and indeed Tooting and Saint George's as well. A hospital I know well, and I look forward to the other four maiden speeches as well. And my Lords, talking of speeches and the list today, I am proud to be amongst a minority.
I think it's around 15% of the list of speakers today are men, and I'm proud of that. But we need more. And because advocacy for strengthening the rights of women, both within the UK, but more importantly internationally is not just for women alone. It needs the voice of men, not just symbolically or through words, but through actions. Indeed, this advocacy and the need for change is most apparent when we look at the issues of human conflict which sees the world today.
We've heard about Afghanistan from the noble Lady Baroness D'Souza, where women are absent in conflict resolution, in negotiating peace building. Yet women and girls, tragically, as we've already heard, are the victims and the first victims of war. Nowhere is this stark reality more clearly today than in relation to conflict related sexual violence. Women and girls represent 95% of these of victims of these abhorrent crimes targeted with slavery, rape, forced pregnancy and forced marriage. When I took on the role as Minister of State at the FCDO, I was also honoured to be appointed as the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, an initiative first started by my noble friend and dear friend Lord Hague.
I realised that the challenges are far more complex than any Minister may imagine, and actually the real learning, the real leadership in this fight comes not from Ministers, this fight comes not from Ministers, not from bureaucrats, but from the absolutely extraordinary survivors absolutely extraordinary survivors whose courage humbles us, humbles us all. How? Through the horrors inflicted on victims. And I share with you the story of an innocent four year old I saw in the DRC who four year old I saw in the DRC who was raped not once, not twice, but half a dozen times, whose shrill, fearful cries echo in my ears even today.
Yet through the amazing work of the Panzi Hospital and the inspiration and devotion of the Nobel laureate, Doctor Denis Mukwege was given that glimmer of hope, that light beyond the horrors of war. So as we mark International Women's Day, let us also, whilst we recognise rightly and celebrate the achievements of women from across the world, we must also confront one of the most brutal realities that crimes that persist in modern conflict the use of sexual violence, particularly against women and girls, is real.
This is not an unfortunate by-product of conflict. It is a tactic. It is deliberate. It is designed to terrorise communities, fracture societies and leave scars that last for generations. I saw directly this during my time as a Minister. I met women in Iraq who endured unspeakable horrors and brutality at the hands of these terrorists. I listened to women survivors from Bosnia who, decades after the war, still carried the trauma of crimes. I met with Yazidi women who had been enslaved, traded and abused in so many ways unspeakable, dehumanised, as they said to me, to a worthless, to a worth and value less than that of an aunt.
Yet what struck me was not just their testimony after their suffering, but the strength of these women strength to confront stigma, rejection by their own communities, and the strength to demand justice not just for themselves, but for others as well. Many survivors became powerful advocates, and I was honoured to work with the likes of Nadia Murad and develop and deliver the moral code, recognising the tireless work of people such as Amal Clooney in the international courts. Nadine Touzani, who I appointed as a survivor who helped me develop strategy in this, and I also pay tribute to the convening power of Her Royal Highness Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, whose compassion and determination have ensured the voices of survivors are heard.
My Lords, the United Kingdom has always sought not simply to raise awareness but lead on this agenda. And I ask the Minister quite directly to protect the budget when it comes to Psvi to continue to show leadership, we established the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, a coalition of countries, and I ask the Minister for an update on this alliance to ensure the priorities that Alliance has set continues to continue supporting the training of investigators, to continue strengthening the documentation mechanisms, and to ensure we stand as a strong voice.
Because today, to conclude, my Lords, in conflicts from Ukraine to Sudan, from the Middle East to parts of Africa, women and girls continue to face the same brutality that survivors describe to me over those seven years. Justice for survivors is not simply a moral obligation. It is essential to lasting peace. Because survivors I met did not ask for sympathy, justice, dignity, and above all else, that the world never looks away.
I think it's around 15% of the list of speakers today are men, and I'm proud of that. But we need more. And because advocacy for strengthening the rights of women, both within the UK, but more importantly internationally is not just for women alone. It needs the voice of men, not just symbolically or through words, but through actions. Indeed, this advocacy and the need for change is most apparent when we look at the issues of human conflict which sees the world today.
We've heard about Afghanistan from the noble Lady Baroness D'Souza, where women are absent in conflict resolution, in negotiating peace building. Yet women and girls, tragically, as we've already heard, are the victims and the first victims of war. Nowhere is this stark reality more clearly today than in relation to conflict related sexual violence. Women and girls represent 95% of these of victims of these abhorrent crimes targeted with slavery, rape, forced pregnancy and forced marriage. When I took on the role as Minister of State at the FCDO, I was also honoured to be appointed as the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, an initiative first started by my noble friend and dear friend Lord Hague.
I realised that the challenges are far more complex than any Minister may imagine, and actually the real learning, the real leadership in this fight comes not from Ministers, this fight comes not from Ministers, not from bureaucrats, but from the absolutely extraordinary survivors absolutely extraordinary survivors whose courage humbles us, humbles us all. How? Through the horrors inflicted on victims. And I share with you the story of an innocent four year old I saw in the DRC who four year old I saw in the DRC who was raped not once, not twice, but half a dozen times, whose shrill, fearful cries echo in my ears even today.
Yet through the amazing work of the Panzi Hospital and the inspiration and devotion of the Nobel laureate, Doctor Denis Mukwege was given that glimmer of hope, that light beyond the horrors of war. So as we mark International Women's Day, let us also, whilst we recognise rightly and celebrate the achievements of women from across the world, we must also confront one of the most brutal realities that crimes that persist in modern conflict the use of sexual violence, particularly against women and girls, is real.
This is not an unfortunate by-product of conflict. It is a tactic. It is deliberate. It is designed to terrorise communities, fracture societies and leave scars that last for generations. I saw directly this during my time as a Minister. I met women in Iraq who endured unspeakable horrors and brutality at the hands of these terrorists. I listened to women survivors from Bosnia who, decades after the war, still carried the trauma of crimes. I met with Yazidi women who had been enslaved, traded and abused in so many ways unspeakable, dehumanised, as they said to me, to a worthless, to a worth and value less than that of an aunt.
Yet what struck me was not just their testimony after their suffering, but the strength of these women strength to confront stigma, rejection by their own communities, and the strength to demand justice not just for themselves, but for others as well. Many survivors became powerful advocates, and I was honoured to work with the likes of Nadia Murad and develop and deliver the moral code, recognising the tireless work of people such as Amal Clooney in the international courts. Nadine Touzani, who I appointed as a survivor who helped me develop strategy in this, and I also pay tribute to the convening power of Her Royal Highness Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, whose compassion and determination have ensured the voices of survivors are heard.
My Lords, the United Kingdom has always sought not simply to raise awareness but lead on this agenda. And I ask the Minister quite directly to protect the budget when it comes to Psvi to continue to show leadership, we established the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, a coalition of countries, and I ask the Minister for an update on this alliance to ensure the priorities that Alliance has set continues to continue supporting the training of investigators, to continue strengthening the documentation mechanisms, and to ensure we stand as a strong voice.
Because today, to conclude, my Lords, in conflicts from Ukraine to Sudan, from the Middle East to parts of Africa, women and girls continue to face the same brutality that survivors describe to me over those seven years. Justice for survivors is not simply a moral obligation. It is essential to lasting peace. Because survivors I met did not ask for sympathy, justice, dignity, and above all else, that the world never looks away.
10:57
Baroness Gale (Labour)
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Baroness Gale (Labour)
Yeah, yeah.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My peers, I'm very pleased to be taking part in this debate today, and I thank the Minister for and I thank the Minister for ensuring we have such a debate. And I want to congratulate my noble I want to congratulate my noble friend on her excellent speech today, a maiden speech. And I'm looking forward to the main looking forward to the main speeches of other noble peers later. Now, the United Nations theme for Now, the United Nations theme for International Women's Day is rights, justice, action for all women and Girls.
But what does this mean and how can it be achieved? Now? The Women's Equality Network Wales have published research of women's experience in a political journey in Wales, but the findings could equally apply to all parts of the United Kingdom. What the research found was that women face additional barriers, including a greater exposure to online abuse, higher personal financial costs and limited access to networks, and recognise that these inequalities means that the pathway to becoming a candidate is not the same for everyone.
What the report showed was that women remain underrepresented across the political system in Wales. Now, to address this underrepresentation of women MPs, in 1997, Labour took action to have all women shortlists, which increased the number of women MPs. Following the 1997 general election, Labour took similar action in the first election to the Welsh Assembly in 1999, which ensured Labour fielded an equal number of women and men candidates. But what followed was that other political parties took action to ensure that women in their parties were given an opportunity of getting selected.
Although each party had its own method, but it did make a difference in getting women elected. Now, the success of these measures was clear, as the results of the 2024 general election showed a record 263 women were elected to the House of Commons, making up 40% of all women of women of all MPs. Now, this milestone represented the highest number percentage of women elected in UK parliamentary history, but we must now look at how we get elected institutions to look like the people they represent, and I believe this can be achieved if section 106 of the Equality Act 2010 is implemented.
And I'm hoping that when I asked my oral question that when I asked my oral question the 10th of May, the Minister may be able to give me a positive be able to give me a positive answer. I could say this time, because I've asked this question so many times, both with a many times, both with a conservative government and my own government. So as well as taking measures to have more women elected in political institutions, there are other barriers women and girls experience, including domestic violence and sexual violence, as well as online abuse.
I am pleased that the government are now working on its manifesto commitment of 2024 of halving violence against women and girls in a decade. So can the Minister say how this policy is progressing, such as introducing domestic abuse specialists, experts in 909 control rooms, and what progress has been made on having a specialist rape and sexual offence teams. Every police force and our fast tracking rape cases with specialist courts in every Crown Court in England and Wales, are my peers, we could say.
Are things getting better for girls and young women? So I read an article in the Guardian last week, written by a 15 year old girl, about her experience, and I quote just a section of her article. Anita Hayward I can't speak of every girl of my age, but I frequently feel objectified, dehumanised and disgusted by the hate towards women. I hate towards women I see online. And I can say with certainty that most of my friends would agree with me, and a friends would agree with me, and a social media ban on analytic scenes might prevent young boys seeing endless content that treats women with contempt and hate.
Boys of this age are very susceptible to this age are very susceptible to the cool and funny framing of what is relentless misogyny. A ban might is relentless misogyny. A ban might not fix the problem, but it would help. If society cannot stop it, it can show its disapproval. Now that is experience of a 15 year old girl in 2026, and I find that shocking. So what? I really hope that the theme for the United Nations, the United Nations theme of action, rights, justice will be taken seriously and must be made a reality.
Now, although I believe that much progress has been made for women and girls, I think we'd all agree there's still much to do.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My peers, I'm very pleased to be taking part in this debate today, and I thank the Minister for and I thank the Minister for ensuring we have such a debate. And I want to congratulate my noble I want to congratulate my noble friend on her excellent speech today, a maiden speech. And I'm looking forward to the main looking forward to the main speeches of other noble peers later. Now, the United Nations theme for Now, the United Nations theme for International Women's Day is rights, justice, action for all women and Girls.
But what does this mean and how can it be achieved? Now? The Women's Equality Network Wales have published research of women's experience in a political journey in Wales, but the findings could equally apply to all parts of the United Kingdom. What the research found was that women face additional barriers, including a greater exposure to online abuse, higher personal financial costs and limited access to networks, and recognise that these inequalities means that the pathway to becoming a candidate is not the same for everyone.
What the report showed was that women remain underrepresented across the political system in Wales. Now, to address this underrepresentation of women MPs, in 1997, Labour took action to have all women shortlists, which increased the number of women MPs. Following the 1997 general election, Labour took similar action in the first election to the Welsh Assembly in 1999, which ensured Labour fielded an equal number of women and men candidates. But what followed was that other political parties took action to ensure that women in their parties were given an opportunity of getting selected.
Although each party had its own method, but it did make a difference in getting women elected. Now, the success of these measures was clear, as the results of the 2024 general election showed a record 263 women were elected to the House of Commons, making up 40% of all women of women of all MPs. Now, this milestone represented the highest number percentage of women elected in UK parliamentary history, but we must now look at how we get elected institutions to look like the people they represent, and I believe this can be achieved if section 106 of the Equality Act 2010 is implemented.
And I'm hoping that when I asked my oral question that when I asked my oral question the 10th of May, the Minister may be able to give me a positive be able to give me a positive answer. I could say this time, because I've asked this question so many times, both with a many times, both with a conservative government and my own government. So as well as taking measures to have more women elected in political institutions, there are other barriers women and girls experience, including domestic violence and sexual violence, as well as online abuse.
I am pleased that the government are now working on its manifesto commitment of 2024 of halving violence against women and girls in a decade. So can the Minister say how this policy is progressing, such as introducing domestic abuse specialists, experts in 909 control rooms, and what progress has been made on having a specialist rape and sexual offence teams. Every police force and our fast tracking rape cases with specialist courts in every Crown Court in England and Wales, are my peers, we could say.
Are things getting better for girls and young women? So I read an article in the Guardian last week, written by a 15 year old girl, about her experience, and I quote just a section of her article. Anita Hayward I can't speak of every girl of my age, but I frequently feel objectified, dehumanised and disgusted by the hate towards women. I hate towards women I see online. And I can say with certainty that most of my friends would agree with me, and a friends would agree with me, and a social media ban on analytic scenes might prevent young boys seeing endless content that treats women with contempt and hate.
Boys of this age are very susceptible to this age are very susceptible to the cool and funny framing of what is relentless misogyny. A ban might is relentless misogyny. A ban might not fix the problem, but it would help. If society cannot stop it, it can show its disapproval. Now that is experience of a 15 year old girl in 2026, and I find that shocking. So what? I really hope that the theme for the United Nations, the United Nations theme of action, rights, justice will be taken seriously and must be made a reality.
Now, although I believe that much progress has been made for women and girls, I think we'd all agree there's still much to do.
11:02
Baroness Gohir (Crossbench)
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Baroness Gohir (Crossbench)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Excellent.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Very good. I congratulate all noble Baronesses on their maiden speech. Baronesses on their maiden speech. I declare an interest that I am a muslim woman and CEO CEO of Muslim Women's Network, because my contribution for International contribution for International Women's Day will be focussed on Muslim women. My Lords, I start with the question who gets to decide the identity of Muslim women? Too often it is not Muslim women. Too often it is not Muslim women. For too long others have defined who Muslim women are.
Muslim women are seen as oppressed, dangerous and othered, oppressed especially if they wear the headscarf, and more so if they wear the face veil. Some women may well be coerced into wearing a face veil, but this can be addressed through domestic abuse legislation. But many Muslim women choose to wear it. Hard to believe, but their choices must be respected and their different motivations are never considered. The clothing of Muslim women is framed as a threat to both security and British culture.
It is really about not liking the look of it. No one explains how a couple of thousand Muslim women who wear the face veil out of 2 million Muslim women will disrupt British culture. Most of the public are unlikely to ever cross paths with them. Muslim women's freedom to choose how they dress is often only supported when it aligns with existing biases. When government claims to protect Muslim women, the focus is narrow. Forced marriage on a base of use FGM.
These issues matter, of course, but why is there no urgency when Muslim women and girls face hate crimes, domestic abuse, grooming, sexual exploitation? Only abuse is linked to culture are taken seriously. Why is that, my Lords? A 15 year old Shamima Begum was not viewed through a lens of grooming or trafficking. She was viewed through a lens of terrorism. In domestic abuse cases, the explanation often defaults to culture. Controlling in-laws, parents, language barriers on the base abuse. But abuse is not always about culture.
It can be just about misogyny and male violence. Framing women suffering only through culture exposes an unconscious bias. Muslim women, like all women, deserve protection from all forms of harm, not just the ones that fit stereotypes. Instead of deciding the priorities for Muslim women, listen to them instead of speaking for them. Create spaces for their voices. Right now, Muslim women are deeply, deeply worried about their safety in public, online, in the workplace and when accessing services.
The hostility towards Muslim women has become so normalised it has emboldened perpetrators. While Lord Wharton woman took her children to the park and she was abused by teenagers, so she went home and she was followed home. She was frightened. In another case, we moved a domestic abuse victim to a safe place. Her neighbour started abusing her and she had to be moved again by police for her own safety. In another case recently, a man signalled that she could cross the road and then try to run her over and said I will get you next time.
There are many other frightening stories, but freedom restricting harassment of Muslim women and girls, the constant fear of it forces many to self-censor, alter their behaviour and withdraw from public life. This damages individual well-being, undermines equality of opportunity and corrodes community cohesion. Research and police data show that the majority of perpetrators are white men, yet hate crime towards Muslim women is not considered by the government as gender based violence. The recent report, published by the Women Equalities Committee on Abuse and Harassment of Muslim Women, confirms that Muslim women are disproportionately targeted in ways that are deeply gendered and racialized in all areas of life, resulting in lost opportunities and poor outcomes.
My Lords, the government has pledged £40 million for mosques. While I acknowledge their security absolutely needs strengthening. But not a single pound for Muslim women has been ring fenced. This is the sexist approach. Perhaps the government, too, believes the stereotype that Muslim women have no agency. Stereotypes of the oppressed Muslim woman strips away individuality. Far too little attention has been paid to Muslim women who are thriving as lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, teachers, police officers, academics, accountants, engineers, charity workers, artists, entrepreneurs, social media influencers and of course, politicians.
While all experiencing unprecedented levels of hostility, my Lords, Muslim women need your solidarity, not just for when it comes to abuse linked to culture or for Muslim women abroad. I want to end, though, on a celebratory note. A year ago, I launched Muslim Heritage Month to be marked every March to tell the positive stories of Muslims in Britain to help challenge the misinformation about us. I am proud to wear my Muslim Heritage Month badge and dedicate this year's Muslim Heritage Month
**** Possible New Speaker ****
to Muslim women. Yes.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My Lords, and can I say my ladies too? On this International Women's Day debate?
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah, yeah. Thank you. I feel very humbled to be standing in this chamber, speaking standing in this chamber, speaking for the first time today in my 47 year working for the Labour Party, including organising conferences including organising conferences and events, I have visited and worked with thousands of different venues and their staff across our land from small community centres, big conference venues, hospitals,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Very good. I congratulate all noble Baronesses on their maiden speech. Baronesses on their maiden speech. I declare an interest that I am a muslim woman and CEO CEO of Muslim Women's Network, because my contribution for International contribution for International Women's Day will be focussed on Muslim women. My Lords, I start with the question who gets to decide the identity of Muslim women? Too often it is not Muslim women. Too often it is not Muslim women. For too long others have defined who Muslim women are.
Muslim women are seen as oppressed, dangerous and othered, oppressed especially if they wear the headscarf, and more so if they wear the face veil. Some women may well be coerced into wearing a face veil, but this can be addressed through domestic abuse legislation. But many Muslim women choose to wear it. Hard to believe, but their choices must be respected and their different motivations are never considered. The clothing of Muslim women is framed as a threat to both security and British culture.
It is really about not liking the look of it. No one explains how a couple of thousand Muslim women who wear the face veil out of 2 million Muslim women will disrupt British culture. Most of the public are unlikely to ever cross paths with them. Muslim women's freedom to choose how they dress is often only supported when it aligns with existing biases. When government claims to protect Muslim women, the focus is narrow. Forced marriage on a base of use FGM.
These issues matter, of course, but why is there no urgency when Muslim women and girls face hate crimes, domestic abuse, grooming, sexual exploitation? Only abuse is linked to culture are taken seriously. Why is that, my Lords? A 15 year old Shamima Begum was not viewed through a lens of grooming or trafficking. She was viewed through a lens of terrorism. In domestic abuse cases, the explanation often defaults to culture. Controlling in-laws, parents, language barriers on the base abuse. But abuse is not always about culture.
It can be just about misogyny and male violence. Framing women suffering only through culture exposes an unconscious bias. Muslim women, like all women, deserve protection from all forms of harm, not just the ones that fit stereotypes. Instead of deciding the priorities for Muslim women, listen to them instead of speaking for them. Create spaces for their voices. Right now, Muslim women are deeply, deeply worried about their safety in public, online, in the workplace and when accessing services.
The hostility towards Muslim women has become so normalised it has emboldened perpetrators. While Lord Wharton woman took her children to the park and she was abused by teenagers, so she went home and she was followed home. She was frightened. In another case, we moved a domestic abuse victim to a safe place. Her neighbour started abusing her and she had to be moved again by police for her own safety. In another case recently, a man signalled that she could cross the road and then try to run her over and said I will get you next time.
There are many other frightening stories, but freedom restricting harassment of Muslim women and girls, the constant fear of it forces many to self-censor, alter their behaviour and withdraw from public life. This damages individual well-being, undermines equality of opportunity and corrodes community cohesion. Research and police data show that the majority of perpetrators are white men, yet hate crime towards Muslim women is not considered by the government as gender based violence. The recent report, published by the Women Equalities Committee on Abuse and Harassment of Muslim Women, confirms that Muslim women are disproportionately targeted in ways that are deeply gendered and racialized in all areas of life, resulting in lost opportunities and poor outcomes.
My Lords, the government has pledged £40 million for mosques. While I acknowledge their security absolutely needs strengthening. But not a single pound for Muslim women has been ring fenced. This is the sexist approach. Perhaps the government, too, believes the stereotype that Muslim women have no agency. Stereotypes of the oppressed Muslim woman strips away individuality. Far too little attention has been paid to Muslim women who are thriving as lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, teachers, police officers, academics, accountants, engineers, charity workers, artists, entrepreneurs, social media influencers and of course, politicians.
While all experiencing unprecedented levels of hostility, my Lords, Muslim women need your solidarity, not just for when it comes to abuse linked to culture or for Muslim women abroad. I want to end, though, on a celebratory note. A year ago, I launched Muslim Heritage Month to be marked every March to tell the positive stories of Muslims in Britain to help challenge the misinformation about us. I am proud to wear my Muslim Heritage Month badge and dedicate this year's Muslim Heritage Month
**** Possible New Speaker ****
to Muslim women. Yes.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My Lords, and can I say my ladies too? On this International Women's Day debate?
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah, yeah. Thank you. I feel very humbled to be standing in this chamber, speaking standing in this chamber, speaking for the first time today in my 47 year working for the Labour Party, including organising conferences including organising conferences and events, I have visited and worked with thousands of different venues and their staff across our land from small community centres, big conference venues, hospitals,
11:08
Baroness Linforth (Labour)
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Baroness Linforth (Labour)
schools, sports stadiums and more. But none are so grand and intimidating as arriving at the intimidating as arriving at the House of Lords, I was introduced into the House on the 2nd of February, and since then I have felt incapable of putting one foot in front of the other without in front of the other without asking for help and guidance. My friends and family who join me on that day have said that everyone that day have said that everyone was so kind, could not have been more helpful.
So I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, including the doorkeepers, the caterers, the security staff, all house authorities, Black Rod Clerk of Parliament for being so generous with their time, advice and patience. And I want to thank my supporters, my noble friends Lord Reid of Cardowan and Baroness Rebuck, who both of whom are inspirations to me and have supported me during my career at the Labour Party. As the longest serving member of Labour Party staff, I wonder how a girl from Redland in the city of Bristol, educated at Saint Bede's Comprehensive in Lawrence Weston and then on to Filton Technical College, got here.
I started my working career at the Bristol Regional Office as a clerk typist. My first instruction there was that I was to make the tea at ten, 11 and three, as well as being my first instruction for my bosses at work. It was also my first experience of stopping errant nonsense driven by men within the Labour Party. The tea routine soon stopped. I have spent my whole life working for the Labour Party, and most of the teams I have managed have been predominantly of women, brilliant women, hard working women, ambitious women.
I have lost count of the number of people who have passed on through my teams and gone on to do a most amazing things. I want to acknowledge those women in all parties who work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that their parties get elected and
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. I'd like to pay tribute to my dear departed friend Margaret dear departed friend Margaret McDonagh, Baroness McDonagh, who had such an influence on me and many other Labour women as our many other Labour women as our first female general secretary. She had to be tough, assertive and had to be tough, assertive and straightforward, but she was always supportive of everyone who was working to make Labour electable working to make Labour electable once again, and especially of women.
She absolutely dragged me out of my comfort zone and made me do things I'd never imagined I could do, rather like my own feisty French mother who left her rural village in the south of France and came to this country in 1957 to learn to speak English. She worked as a psychiatric nurse in the Mother and Baby Care Unit in Bristol, where she met my father, and they lived in Redland, where I was brought up, and they even managed an entente cordiale during that period.
We are just two years away from 2028 and the 100th anniversary of all women receiving the vote when their voting age became 21, the same as for men at the time. 2028 also marks the 70th anniversary of women being allowed to become peers and sit in the House of Lords. The Equal Franchise Act of 1928 enabled 15 million women to become able to vote for the first time in our democracy. Many of these were working class women. Sadly, like so many women today, they were time poor, working in low paid jobs and balancing their families in the home.
In the 79 general election, the first after I started work, there were just 19 women MPs elected. 11. 11 of them were Labour. Happily, all of that has changed thanks to the talent and determination of many people I have worked with and others. And as the hon. Lady said in 1924, in 2024, general election would turn the highest number and proportion of female MPs ever recorded, 263. So 40% of all MPs elected. And it is worth repeating again.
And there have been two more elected at a by election since. I'm proud that 190 of those women MPs are Labour. But despite this progress, I would really encourage all parties to ensure we have 5050 parity in Parliament by the next election. It is very important that we ensure our Parliament is representative of the people we seek to serve. Unfortunately, still not enough has changed. Women still carry out the lion's share of childcare and still do the vast majority of unpaid care too.
We have all seen at first hand women juggling all their multiple roles, looking after their children and elderly parents too. It means that for many talented, clever, hardworking women, choices are constrained. They end up working part time, often in low paid jobs and below their skills level. Hence, we still have a persistent gender pay gap and are wasting these fantastic women's talents even when both parents work full time, women spend 40% more time caring for children. The recent TUC report said the gender pay gap remains at 12.8% and on average, women are missing out on £2,548 per year.
This makes women the poorest pensioners too, so it has a massive long term detrimental impact on women's lives. We need to see a culture change in the workplace and in politics, enabling more women to participate on an equal footing to men. I look forward to the Employment Rights Act changes, which will introduce mandatory gender pay and menopause action plans, enhanced flexible working regulations and strengthened protections against dismissal for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave. So on this celebration of
So I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff, including the doorkeepers, the caterers, the security staff, all house authorities, Black Rod Clerk of Parliament for being so generous with their time, advice and patience. And I want to thank my supporters, my noble friends Lord Reid of Cardowan and Baroness Rebuck, who both of whom are inspirations to me and have supported me during my career at the Labour Party. As the longest serving member of Labour Party staff, I wonder how a girl from Redland in the city of Bristol, educated at Saint Bede's Comprehensive in Lawrence Weston and then on to Filton Technical College, got here.
I started my working career at the Bristol Regional Office as a clerk typist. My first instruction there was that I was to make the tea at ten, 11 and three, as well as being my first instruction for my bosses at work. It was also my first experience of stopping errant nonsense driven by men within the Labour Party. The tea routine soon stopped. I have spent my whole life working for the Labour Party, and most of the teams I have managed have been predominantly of women, brilliant women, hard working women, ambitious women.
I have lost count of the number of people who have passed on through my teams and gone on to do a most amazing things. I want to acknowledge those women in all parties who work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that their parties get elected and
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Yeah. I'd like to pay tribute to my dear departed friend Margaret dear departed friend Margaret McDonagh, Baroness McDonagh, who had such an influence on me and many other Labour women as our many other Labour women as our first female general secretary. She had to be tough, assertive and had to be tough, assertive and straightforward, but she was always supportive of everyone who was working to make Labour electable working to make Labour electable once again, and especially of women.
She absolutely dragged me out of my comfort zone and made me do things I'd never imagined I could do, rather like my own feisty French mother who left her rural village in the south of France and came to this country in 1957 to learn to speak English. She worked as a psychiatric nurse in the Mother and Baby Care Unit in Bristol, where she met my father, and they lived in Redland, where I was brought up, and they even managed an entente cordiale during that period.
We are just two years away from 2028 and the 100th anniversary of all women receiving the vote when their voting age became 21, the same as for men at the time. 2028 also marks the 70th anniversary of women being allowed to become peers and sit in the House of Lords. The Equal Franchise Act of 1928 enabled 15 million women to become able to vote for the first time in our democracy. Many of these were working class women. Sadly, like so many women today, they were time poor, working in low paid jobs and balancing their families in the home.
In the 79 general election, the first after I started work, there were just 19 women MPs elected. 11. 11 of them were Labour. Happily, all of that has changed thanks to the talent and determination of many people I have worked with and others. And as the hon. Lady said in 1924, in 2024, general election would turn the highest number and proportion of female MPs ever recorded, 263. So 40% of all MPs elected. And it is worth repeating again.
And there have been two more elected at a by election since. I'm proud that 190 of those women MPs are Labour. But despite this progress, I would really encourage all parties to ensure we have 5050 parity in Parliament by the next election. It is very important that we ensure our Parliament is representative of the people we seek to serve. Unfortunately, still not enough has changed. Women still carry out the lion's share of childcare and still do the vast majority of unpaid care too.
We have all seen at first hand women juggling all their multiple roles, looking after their children and elderly parents too. It means that for many talented, clever, hardworking women, choices are constrained. They end up working part time, often in low paid jobs and below their skills level. Hence, we still have a persistent gender pay gap and are wasting these fantastic women's talents even when both parents work full time, women spend 40% more time caring for children. The recent TUC report said the gender pay gap remains at 12.8% and on average, women are missing out on £2,548 per year.
This makes women the poorest pensioners too, so it has a massive long term detrimental impact on women's lives. We need to see a culture change in the workplace and in politics, enabling more women to participate on an equal footing to men. I look forward to the Employment Rights Act changes, which will introduce mandatory gender pay and menopause action plans, enhanced flexible working regulations and strengthened protections against dismissal for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave. So on this celebration of
12:11
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour)
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Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour)
women who suffer most as they are now in Afghanistan and Sudan. I think that, like me, she would be deeply concerned about the government's recent announcement about halting visas for those students from those countries. I was also in a former life. I was principal of Somerville College, where Lady Rhondda was a student, but she gave up her studies to become a suffragette. At Somerville, we became a College of Sanctuary and the University of Oxford, like so many other universities, also became a college, a university sanctuary.
I'm immensely proud of the extraordinary, courageous sanctuary scholars who study across the UK. This must continue, one of my former colleagues said. With the current government policy, it feels as if the government is joining the Taliban in denying education to the women of Afghanistan. Her words, not mine. To the eighth sanctuary. Scholars currently at Somerville are inspirational women medics from Sudan who have emerged from unimaginable trauma, unbowed and determined to shape a better future for their countries. They want to and they will return.
Education is a fundamental right, and we must strive to ensure that women and girls have access to education throughout the world. Channelling Jo's humanitarian values, I ask the government for its commitment to respond positively to the October Emergency Relief Coordinators appeal. The world must not and cannot look away. My Lords, Confucius said education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace. Women of the world are desperate for peace, and they need hope. A recent visit to the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh gave me much hope.
They offer amazing opportunities for extraordinary young women who have faced indescribable challenges. Of the 2000 students, over 500 are from Afghanistan and more than 300 from Myanmar, most of whom grew up in Cox's Bazar. These wonderful, resilient young women want the opportunity to rebuild their societies when there's peace. Hope and peace are precious commodities in this chamber. We have the privilege, the power, and we have a platform to bring about change in our communities, in our country and in the world.
We have a duty to use it.
I'm immensely proud of the extraordinary, courageous sanctuary scholars who study across the UK. This must continue, one of my former colleagues said. With the current government policy, it feels as if the government is joining the Taliban in denying education to the women of Afghanistan. Her words, not mine. To the eighth sanctuary. Scholars currently at Somerville are inspirational women medics from Sudan who have emerged from unimaginable trauma, unbowed and determined to shape a better future for their countries. They want to and they will return.
Education is a fundamental right, and we must strive to ensure that women and girls have access to education throughout the world. Channelling Jo's humanitarian values, I ask the government for its commitment to respond positively to the October Emergency Relief Coordinators appeal. The world must not and cannot look away. My Lords, Confucius said education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace. Women of the world are desperate for peace, and they need hope. A recent visit to the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh gave me much hope.
They offer amazing opportunities for extraordinary young women who have faced indescribable challenges. Of the 2000 students, over 500 are from Afghanistan and more than 300 from Myanmar, most of whom grew up in Cox's Bazar. These wonderful, resilient young women want the opportunity to rebuild their societies when there's peace. Hope and peace are precious commodities in this chamber. We have the privilege, the power, and we have a platform to bring about change in our communities, in our country and in the world.
We have a duty to use it.
12:13
Baroness Brady (Conservative)
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Baroness Brady (Conservative)
Hear, hear! >> Hear, hear! >> My Lords, and. >> Why not on today of all days, my ladies. I'd like to start by ladies. I'd like to start by offering my congratulations to the noble Baroness on their most excellent maiden speeches. And I'd like to reassure you that we've all done that. Breathe a sigh of relief as we sit down and it's all over. I assure you it gets better. I'd like to offer you a very warm welcome. This house is definitely enriched when we have women that join it in leadership roles with passion and experience.
So, as I say, a very warm welcome. I rise today not simply to celebrate women's achievements though. There are so many and we've heard so many wonderful stories. But to confront honestly the unfinished business that still stands before us. When I reflect on the path that brought me here, being the youngest person to run a public company in the UK, and the first woman to run a football club at 23, I was walking corridors where I was frequently the only woman.
I learned early on that being capable is not the same as being accepted, that strength and resilience often have to speak louder than credentials in environments designed for and for by, sorry, designed by, and for someone very different to me. The UN's theme this year, rights, justice, Action for All Women and girls, is not just aspirational, it must be organised and structural rights are meaningless if they don't translate into justice at work, in law and in society. And justice is hollow without action that dismantles the barriers that women still face.
Economic, cultural and institutional every day. So let me be frank. While the UK has seen the gender, the headline gender pay gap fall over the last decade, the reality behind the number is sobering. Women still substantially less on average than men. And at the current pace, some reports suggest that parity may not arrive until the middle of this century. This gap is an abstract. It means that women effectively work unpaid for many weeks of the year compared with their male counterparts, ONS data shows.
Women my age have the highest pay gap of 19.7% and work the equivalent of 72 days a year for free. So from the very start of this year until next Friday, the 13th of March, we're effectively working for free. It also compounds over a lifetime, contributing to a dramatic gender pension gap that leaves older women far more financially vulnerable than men. So why does this persist? Because we still operate systems that penalise women for caring for their children, for their families, for older family members.
Why? Rewarding uninterrupted career progression? ONS data shows the full time employment rate for mothers with dependent children was around 39%, compared with about 84% for fathers. Because culture still reverberates with assumptions about who belongs in leadership. Because when job titles and pay packets are decided, old biases queue up to decide who gets the corner office. The women in work APPG of which I am the co-chair. And of course, you are all welcome to join our report in 2025 showed that women led businesses with all female founding teams received just 1.8% of all UK venture capital in early 2024.
There's no justice in that, but this is not a plea borne of pessimism. It is a call to accelerate action, action to enforce equal pay at every level, action to expand and make affordable, high quality childcare, universal action to redesign workplaces so that flexibility is not a consolation prize, but a standard practice action, so that when a woman sits at a board table, she is not seen as a badge of diversity, but as a recognised equal contribution, contributor to strategy, to profit, to vision, to leadership, to values and purpose.
We have seen the transformation power of transparency, the requirement for gender j for gender pay gap reporting has forced organisations to look in the mirror, but transparency alone isn't change. It's a spotlight and light without follow through leaves too many shadows untouched. As someone who built a career in male dominated fields, I know what change feel like when it actually happens. Opportunity broadens. Voices diversify, decisions become better. And while I'm proud of how far we've come, I will be deeply humbled if in my lifetime we could reach a point where advocating for women's equality is unnecessary because equality has become genuine normal.
So let this day be more than reflection. Let it be a turning point for concrete action in business, in government, and in every institution we influence.
So, as I say, a very warm welcome. I rise today not simply to celebrate women's achievements though. There are so many and we've heard so many wonderful stories. But to confront honestly the unfinished business that still stands before us. When I reflect on the path that brought me here, being the youngest person to run a public company in the UK, and the first woman to run a football club at 23, I was walking corridors where I was frequently the only woman.
I learned early on that being capable is not the same as being accepted, that strength and resilience often have to speak louder than credentials in environments designed for and for by, sorry, designed by, and for someone very different to me. The UN's theme this year, rights, justice, Action for All Women and girls, is not just aspirational, it must be organised and structural rights are meaningless if they don't translate into justice at work, in law and in society. And justice is hollow without action that dismantles the barriers that women still face.
Economic, cultural and institutional every day. So let me be frank. While the UK has seen the gender, the headline gender pay gap fall over the last decade, the reality behind the number is sobering. Women still substantially less on average than men. And at the current pace, some reports suggest that parity may not arrive until the middle of this century. This gap is an abstract. It means that women effectively work unpaid for many weeks of the year compared with their male counterparts, ONS data shows.
Women my age have the highest pay gap of 19.7% and work the equivalent of 72 days a year for free. So from the very start of this year until next Friday, the 13th of March, we're effectively working for free. It also compounds over a lifetime, contributing to a dramatic gender pension gap that leaves older women far more financially vulnerable than men. So why does this persist? Because we still operate systems that penalise women for caring for their children, for their families, for older family members.
Why? Rewarding uninterrupted career progression? ONS data shows the full time employment rate for mothers with dependent children was around 39%, compared with about 84% for fathers. Because culture still reverberates with assumptions about who belongs in leadership. Because when job titles and pay packets are decided, old biases queue up to decide who gets the corner office. The women in work APPG of which I am the co-chair. And of course, you are all welcome to join our report in 2025 showed that women led businesses with all female founding teams received just 1.8% of all UK venture capital in early 2024.
There's no justice in that, but this is not a plea borne of pessimism. It is a call to accelerate action, action to enforce equal pay at every level, action to expand and make affordable, high quality childcare, universal action to redesign workplaces so that flexibility is not a consolation prize, but a standard practice action, so that when a woman sits at a board table, she is not seen as a badge of diversity, but as a recognised equal contribution, contributor to strategy, to profit, to vision, to leadership, to values and purpose.
We have seen the transformation power of transparency, the requirement for gender j for gender pay gap reporting has forced organisations to look in the mirror, but transparency alone isn't change. It's a spotlight and light without follow through leaves too many shadows untouched. As someone who built a career in male dominated fields, I know what change feel like when it actually happens. Opportunity broadens. Voices diversify, decisions become better. And while I'm proud of how far we've come, I will be deeply humbled if in my lifetime we could reach a point where advocating for women's equality is unnecessary because equality has become genuine normal.
So let this day be more than reflection. Let it be a turning point for concrete action in business, in government, and in every institution we influence.
12:19
Baroness Campbell of Surbiton (Crossbench)
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Baroness Campbell of Surbiton (Crossbench)
Lord Tope Baroness Campbell of Surbiton is taking part remotely. I invite Baroness Campbell to speak.
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invite Baroness Campbell to speak. My Lords, International Women's Day gives us the opportunity to Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate women's outstanding contribution to society. Today I want to focus with pride on disabled women whose leadership and talent to reshape our understanding of equality and inclusion. And I will also demonstrate what happens when disabled women are ignored.
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Modern disabled women. Modern disabled women refuse to be defined by their medical condition. They define themselves by determination, skill and leadership. They are clear that their lives are not exceptional. They are the same as exceptional. They are the same as anyone else. When barriers are removed, Paralympians are probably removed, Paralympians are probably the best example of how society's perception of disability has changed. My noble friend, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson radically transforms sporting expectations of elite performance.
When she began her career, she faced not just competitors but profound prejudice and discrimination through sheer force of will and 11 gold medals, she fought for equal access so that others could follow. Her success is about more than medals. She has demonstrated that motherhood, disability at elite elite athletic performance and today's politics are not contradictions, but coexist powerfully. Achievement is not confined to stadiums in the arts. Liz Carr and Olivier award winning actress has challenged stereotypes with intelligence and wit through her performances and activism, she has confronted harmful narratives about the value placed on disabled lives.
She has used her visibility not for celebrity purposes but for advocacy. Similarly, Rose Ayling-ellis brought British Sign Language into millions of homes during Strictly Come Dancing when over 11 million viewers watched her silent tribute to the deaf community. She broke stereotypes and took home the glitterball, sparking a surge of interest in BSL. She then used that platform to support older deaf residents isolated in care homes, demonstrating that when communication barriers fall, everyone benefits. In a society obsessed with physical perfection, disabled women and girls often experience low self-esteem, face online abuse, and sometimes even hate crime.
Katie Piper OBE survived a life changing acid attack and has since become a powerful advocate for burn survivors. Through her foundation, she challenges society's fixation on appearance. But for every socially included disabled women we celebrate, there are hundreds of others whose independence is denied and potential ignored, the BBC reported last year. The story. Last week, the story of Lucinda Ritchie, aged 32, she is academically accomplished and nationally recognised for her assistive technology advocacy. She uses a powered wheelchair, breathes with the ventilator and communicates with eye gaze technology.
For the last eight years, she was living in her adapted bungalow with 24 hour care healthcare assistants paid for by NHS continuing Care after hospital admission with pneumonia over Christmas, she expected to return home. Instead, the NHS commissioning Board decided it was in her best interest to place her in a nursing home miles from home. Overstretched staff, unfamiliar with her complex needs, switched off her power chair and couldn't work her eye gaze. Technology. A woman who had been thriving, now isolated and frightened.
Last week, she was apparently back in hospital because the care provided was not tailored to her needs. My Lords, this appears to be a violation of her article 19 rights under the convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities to live independently with support for decades, personal budgets and empowerment models transform people's lives disabled people's lives, enabling them to exercise genuine choice and control. Independent living is not theoretical theoretical, it is deliverable. My Lords, has that good practice gone? Why did we support disabled people to move out of institutions, only to return to them 30 years later? And today I'm pleased the noble Lady, the Minister, Jacqui Smith, is responding today as Minister for Social Care.
In 2001, she made a choice between two shortlisted candidates for the role of the first chair of the Social Care Institute for excellence. She could have gone for the safer pair of hands. A man who had been advising the Department of Health for years. But instead she took a chance on a disabled woman who wanted to radically transform the way social care operated by empowering service users to be co-producers for community care. What the Minister didn't know then was that her choice gave me my first big career break, which led me to your
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Lordships House. So in thanking her, I would like
**** Possible New Speaker ****
So in thanking her, I would like to ask if she would meet me again to look at ways to prevent this to look at ways to prevent this backward slide from independence to dependency and exclusion. My Lords, International Women's Day must be International Women's Day must be more than a celebration of disabled people. The disabled, women and women, disabled women's rights to equality, dignity and freedom are not symbolic. They are vital and they are upheld not just today, but every day of the year.
Thank you.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
invite Baroness Campbell to speak. My Lords, International Women's Day gives us the opportunity to Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate women's outstanding contribution to society. Today I want to focus with pride on disabled women whose leadership and talent to reshape our understanding of equality and inclusion. And I will also demonstrate what happens when disabled women are ignored.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Modern disabled women. Modern disabled women refuse to be defined by their medical condition. They define themselves by determination, skill and leadership. They are clear that their lives are not exceptional. They are the same as exceptional. They are the same as anyone else. When barriers are removed, Paralympians are probably removed, Paralympians are probably the best example of how society's perception of disability has changed. My noble friend, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson radically transforms sporting expectations of elite performance.
When she began her career, she faced not just competitors but profound prejudice and discrimination through sheer force of will and 11 gold medals, she fought for equal access so that others could follow. Her success is about more than medals. She has demonstrated that motherhood, disability at elite elite athletic performance and today's politics are not contradictions, but coexist powerfully. Achievement is not confined to stadiums in the arts. Liz Carr and Olivier award winning actress has challenged stereotypes with intelligence and wit through her performances and activism, she has confronted harmful narratives about the value placed on disabled lives.
She has used her visibility not for celebrity purposes but for advocacy. Similarly, Rose Ayling-ellis brought British Sign Language into millions of homes during Strictly Come Dancing when over 11 million viewers watched her silent tribute to the deaf community. She broke stereotypes and took home the glitterball, sparking a surge of interest in BSL. She then used that platform to support older deaf residents isolated in care homes, demonstrating that when communication barriers fall, everyone benefits. In a society obsessed with physical perfection, disabled women and girls often experience low self-esteem, face online abuse, and sometimes even hate crime.
Katie Piper OBE survived a life changing acid attack and has since become a powerful advocate for burn survivors. Through her foundation, she challenges society's fixation on appearance. But for every socially included disabled women we celebrate, there are hundreds of others whose independence is denied and potential ignored, the BBC reported last year. The story. Last week, the story of Lucinda Ritchie, aged 32, she is academically accomplished and nationally recognised for her assistive technology advocacy. She uses a powered wheelchair, breathes with the ventilator and communicates with eye gaze technology.
For the last eight years, she was living in her adapted bungalow with 24 hour care healthcare assistants paid for by NHS continuing Care after hospital admission with pneumonia over Christmas, she expected to return home. Instead, the NHS commissioning Board decided it was in her best interest to place her in a nursing home miles from home. Overstretched staff, unfamiliar with her complex needs, switched off her power chair and couldn't work her eye gaze. Technology. A woman who had been thriving, now isolated and frightened.
Last week, she was apparently back in hospital because the care provided was not tailored to her needs. My Lords, this appears to be a violation of her article 19 rights under the convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities to live independently with support for decades, personal budgets and empowerment models transform people's lives disabled people's lives, enabling them to exercise genuine choice and control. Independent living is not theoretical theoretical, it is deliverable. My Lords, has that good practice gone? Why did we support disabled people to move out of institutions, only to return to them 30 years later? And today I'm pleased the noble Lady, the Minister, Jacqui Smith, is responding today as Minister for Social Care.
In 2001, she made a choice between two shortlisted candidates for the role of the first chair of the Social Care Institute for excellence. She could have gone for the safer pair of hands. A man who had been advising the Department of Health for years. But instead she took a chance on a disabled woman who wanted to radically transform the way social care operated by empowering service users to be co-producers for community care. What the Minister didn't know then was that her choice gave me my first big career break, which led me to your
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Lordships House. So in thanking her, I would like
**** Possible New Speaker ****
So in thanking her, I would like to ask if she would meet me again to look at ways to prevent this to look at ways to prevent this backward slide from independence to dependency and exclusion. My Lords, International Women's Day must be International Women's Day must be more than a celebration of disabled people. The disabled, women and women, disabled women's rights to equality, dignity and freedom are not symbolic. They are vital and they are upheld not just today, but every day of the year.
Thank you.
12:26
Baroness Carberry of Muswell Hill (Labour)
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Baroness Carberry of Muswell Hill (Labour)
Warm congratulations to all my noble friends who've made such noble friends who've made such brilliant maiden speeches today. We're very lucky to have you all with us. I want to use my few minutes today to thank the women who serve in our armed forces. This week, the Prime Minister rightly paid tribute to the bravery of our servicemen and servicewomen who put themselves in harm's way to keep others safe. Today, as we sit safely in this lovely chamber, hundreds of service women are on active deployment in the Middle East, and we shouldn't forget what we owe them.
Women in the forces serve in frontline combat roles. This country lifted historic restrictions years ago, and since 2019, all roles, including ground close combat, have been formally open to women. There are brilliant women doing challenging jobs across all ranks and roles in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Our nation needs these women. Our armed forces are under strength. The commitment of these women is vital to our safety and security, and we need more of them.
There are very big challenges. In 2021, the government announced that women should account for 30% of all new recruits into the armed forces by 2030. We are nowhere near that. As of October last year, women were approximately only 12% of the UK regular forces and just under 16% of the reserves. More women have joined up over the decades, but women's presence is still relatively limited and uneven by any meaningful measure. Women are still underrepresented in the forces and in the most senior military leadership roles.
And if you talk to young women choosing their future careers, as I do, many are going to tell you they are not going to consider the armed services. They know they'd get access to cutting edge skills and exciting careers, but they're put off by reports of service culture. The Mod and the services have done a lot to deal with bullying, harassment and discrimination. But no one who read last year's survey into sexualised behaviours and sexual harassment in the armed forces is going to be encouraged to sign up.
Around two thirds of women reported coming up against at least one form of sexualised behaviour in the past 12 months. Nearly 1 in 10 women reported non-consensual sexual activity, and over a third reported being groped or touched. And nor is there anything encouraging about broken locks in female accommodation, ill fitting uniforms, inappropriate kit, poorly coordinated victim support and lack of confidence in current complaint services. And there are more subtle pressures. I spoke to a young woman officer this week in mid-career, in a front line combat role.
She loved her job, but she said she had to tough it out every day against a general male attitude that made it clear that women shouldn't be doing these challenging jobs. And she was too polite to describe this as a heavily sexist and toxic masculine culture. But that is what it is. So we're dealing with endemic harassment, inadequate institutional responses, and cultural resistance. So it's no wonder we're missing recruitment targets and losing talented women. Mid-career.
The Mod and the services are, to be fair, getting a grip on all of this, but there's still such a long way to go. And I applaud all the initiatives like the improved complaint system, new education and prevention initiatives, specialist teams that are rolling out consent and misogyny training across key training bases. And there's a Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce. A victim and witness care unit. Zero tolerance. But it all needs to add up to profound cultural transformation, robust mechanisms to prevent and address harassment, and effective support structures for victims.
Above all, we need sustained strategies for recruiting and retaining women across all ranks and specialities. And without this we are wasting talent, failing women, and failing our nation. So I end by saluting all of the women currently serving in the armed forces and again thank them for their service to our country.
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Hear, hear my Lords, firstly, a warm welcome to the new members and especially those making their maiden speeches today. I made mine in the International Women's debate 15 years ago, and sometimes today I 15 years ago, and sometimes today I feel a little less optimistic about women's and girls rights and freedoms. And I felt then. But freedoms. And I felt then. But perhaps that's because I'm 15 years older and possibly a little more cynical. For those who were in the chamber or following the debate we had earlier in the week on the amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by my noble friend Baroness Bertin.
You may think that we've had enough talk and a graphic talk at that about porn. The industrial scale of online pornography is an issue that has crept quietly, almost invisibly, into the lives of our children and young people, reshaping expectations, relationships and behaviour. The attitudes and behaviours of entire generations of young people have been scarred by the violent misogyny that today that defines today's online pornography trade, a trade that, at least until now, has been free to peddle violence against women for profit.
The consequences are all around us, from the normalised sexual harassment that UK feminista and new Found is perpetrated against over a third of girls in schools, to the shocking crimes against women such as Giselle Pellico and perpetrated by men like Jeffrey Epstein and his friends. As Helen Rumbelow. So powerfully exposed in her recent times article for Jeffrey Epstein, porn videos were a training program to be watched, used as script for his young victims, then added to in a life.
Porn. Lube porn is no longer a marginal adult product. It is a mainstream educator and the de facto sex education curriculum for millions of boys and increasingly, girls, before they have even reached adulthood. The age of first exposure continues to fall. What was once hidden behind the counter of a newsagent is now available free, algorithmically promoted and almost always extreme. The material most readily accessed is not romantic or relational. It is aggressive. It frequently depicts coercion, degradation and violence against women, and it does so without consequence.
When boys learn about intimacy through content that conflates dominance with desire before they have experienced healthy relationships, it shapes their understanding of sex before. It shapes their understanding of consent. When girls encounter it, it shapes what they believe is expected of them, and they feel pressured to perform acts they neither want nor understand. No wonder increasing numbers are wanting to opt out of becoming women. When teachers say that the playground language increasingly mirrors the scripts of pornography, we need to ask ourselves whether this is simply the cost of modernity or a failure of governance.
The porn industry is among the least regulated digital industries in the world. Platforms profit from engagement, not well-being. But this week, fittingly, in this International Women's Week, there is cause for hope that we have started to turn the tide against the pornification of society. That this week will be the week that Parliament finally stepped up to meaningfully confront the misogynistic, violence perpetrated and fuelled by online pornography. The package of amendments brought forward by Baroness Bertin and supported by the House, would respond to this evidence base of harm, according to child protection experts, viewing violent pornography is a key risk factor for men committing child sexual offences with incest and step incest genres found to be the
Women in the forces serve in frontline combat roles. This country lifted historic restrictions years ago, and since 2019, all roles, including ground close combat, have been formally open to women. There are brilliant women doing challenging jobs across all ranks and roles in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Our nation needs these women. Our armed forces are under strength. The commitment of these women is vital to our safety and security, and we need more of them.
There are very big challenges. In 2021, the government announced that women should account for 30% of all new recruits into the armed forces by 2030. We are nowhere near that. As of October last year, women were approximately only 12% of the UK regular forces and just under 16% of the reserves. More women have joined up over the decades, but women's presence is still relatively limited and uneven by any meaningful measure. Women are still underrepresented in the forces and in the most senior military leadership roles.
And if you talk to young women choosing their future careers, as I do, many are going to tell you they are not going to consider the armed services. They know they'd get access to cutting edge skills and exciting careers, but they're put off by reports of service culture. The Mod and the services have done a lot to deal with bullying, harassment and discrimination. But no one who read last year's survey into sexualised behaviours and sexual harassment in the armed forces is going to be encouraged to sign up.
Around two thirds of women reported coming up against at least one form of sexualised behaviour in the past 12 months. Nearly 1 in 10 women reported non-consensual sexual activity, and over a third reported being groped or touched. And nor is there anything encouraging about broken locks in female accommodation, ill fitting uniforms, inappropriate kit, poorly coordinated victim support and lack of confidence in current complaint services. And there are more subtle pressures. I spoke to a young woman officer this week in mid-career, in a front line combat role.
She loved her job, but she said she had to tough it out every day against a general male attitude that made it clear that women shouldn't be doing these challenging jobs. And she was too polite to describe this as a heavily sexist and toxic masculine culture. But that is what it is. So we're dealing with endemic harassment, inadequate institutional responses, and cultural resistance. So it's no wonder we're missing recruitment targets and losing talented women. Mid-career.
The Mod and the services are, to be fair, getting a grip on all of this, but there's still such a long way to go. And I applaud all the initiatives like the improved complaint system, new education and prevention initiatives, specialist teams that are rolling out consent and misogyny training across key training bases. And there's a Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce. A victim and witness care unit. Zero tolerance. But it all needs to add up to profound cultural transformation, robust mechanisms to prevent and address harassment, and effective support structures for victims.
Above all, we need sustained strategies for recruiting and retaining women across all ranks and specialities. And without this we are wasting talent, failing women, and failing our nation. So I end by saluting all of the women currently serving in the armed forces and again thank them for their service to our country.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Hear, hear my Lords, firstly, a warm welcome to the new members and especially those making their maiden speeches today. I made mine in the International Women's debate 15 years ago, and sometimes today I 15 years ago, and sometimes today I feel a little less optimistic about women's and girls rights and freedoms. And I felt then. But freedoms. And I felt then. But perhaps that's because I'm 15 years older and possibly a little more cynical. For those who were in the chamber or following the debate we had earlier in the week on the amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by my noble friend Baroness Bertin.
You may think that we've had enough talk and a graphic talk at that about porn. The industrial scale of online pornography is an issue that has crept quietly, almost invisibly, into the lives of our children and young people, reshaping expectations, relationships and behaviour. The attitudes and behaviours of entire generations of young people have been scarred by the violent misogyny that today that defines today's online pornography trade, a trade that, at least until now, has been free to peddle violence against women for profit.
The consequences are all around us, from the normalised sexual harassment that UK feminista and new Found is perpetrated against over a third of girls in schools, to the shocking crimes against women such as Giselle Pellico and perpetrated by men like Jeffrey Epstein and his friends. As Helen Rumbelow. So powerfully exposed in her recent times article for Jeffrey Epstein, porn videos were a training program to be watched, used as script for his young victims, then added to in a life.
Porn. Lube porn is no longer a marginal adult product. It is a mainstream educator and the de facto sex education curriculum for millions of boys and increasingly, girls, before they have even reached adulthood. The age of first exposure continues to fall. What was once hidden behind the counter of a newsagent is now available free, algorithmically promoted and almost always extreme. The material most readily accessed is not romantic or relational. It is aggressive. It frequently depicts coercion, degradation and violence against women, and it does so without consequence.
When boys learn about intimacy through content that conflates dominance with desire before they have experienced healthy relationships, it shapes their understanding of sex before. It shapes their understanding of consent. When girls encounter it, it shapes what they believe is expected of them, and they feel pressured to perform acts they neither want nor understand. No wonder increasing numbers are wanting to opt out of becoming women. When teachers say that the playground language increasingly mirrors the scripts of pornography, we need to ask ourselves whether this is simply the cost of modernity or a failure of governance.
The porn industry is among the least regulated digital industries in the world. Platforms profit from engagement, not well-being. But this week, fittingly, in this International Women's Week, there is cause for hope that we have started to turn the tide against the pornification of society. That this week will be the week that Parliament finally stepped up to meaningfully confront the misogynistic, violence perpetrated and fuelled by online pornography. The package of amendments brought forward by Baroness Bertin and supported by the House, would respond to this evidence base of harm, according to child protection experts, viewing violent pornography is a key risk factor for men committing child sexual offences with incest and step incest genres found to be the
12:35
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative)
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Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative)
most violent. The comprehensive banning of porn that depicts incest and step incest, and material that mimics child sexual abuse material, is essential in protecting girls is essential in protecting girls and children. 88% of UK pornography and children. 88% of UK pornography users, and that is a lot of people say they are in favour of regulation to verify that all regulation to verify that all individuals shown in pornography are consenting adults. Women are the targets of vile physical and verbal aggression.
In 94% of scenes in porn content, and most of the time the aggressors are men. Parity between the online and offline law to ban abusive, violent and degrading content is essential to protect all women from the abusive violence that is then re-enacted in bedrooms, schools, online spaces in the streets. My Lords, if you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it, watch and then join the campaign. Baroness Coussins amendments are by no means the end of what we in this Parliament need
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to grapple with, but they are a very good start. And I congratulate.
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And I congratulate. My noble. Sisters. The Ministers, on securing. This debate and thank.
In 94% of scenes in porn content, and most of the time the aggressors are men. Parity between the online and offline law to ban abusive, violent and degrading content is essential to protect all women from the abusive violence that is then re-enacted in bedrooms, schools, online spaces in the streets. My Lords, if you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it, watch and then join the campaign. Baroness Coussins amendments are by no means the end of what we in this Parliament need
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to grapple with, but they are a very good start. And I congratulate.
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And I congratulate. My noble. Sisters. The Ministers, on securing. This debate and thank.
12:36
Baroness Chakrabarti (Labour)
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Baroness Chakrabarti (Labour)
>> This debate and thank. >> My noble friend Baroness Gale in particular, amongst so many others. The years of dirty campaigning, and
**** Possible New Speaker ****
The years of dirty campaigning, and not least for ensuring that this is an. Annual occurrence. I, of course,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Annual occurrence. I, of course, congratulate all today's fine maidens. What an auspicious beginning in the house. Yeah. So many issues worthy of discussion. But I repeat my plea of many years for the enforcement of equal pay law not to be left as currently in statute, to women workers themselves, but, my Lords, five years from Sarah Everard's kidnap, rape and murder. And whilst too many wealthy and powerful men hope that the latest terrifying war will provide convenient distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking and abuse scandal, I wish to use my remaining time to remember the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Having read her memoir, Nobody's Girl, I commend it to to to everyone in your Lordships House. But goodness me, it's a very hard. As well as a compelling read it. It's a remarkable testament to rights, justice and action and to human courage, resilience and solidarity. But it's also about crimes of incredible cruelty against girls and women on an industrial scale, under the gaze, and even with the complicity of some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the world.
And, my Lords, it's that very wealth and power that led to so much complicity, denialism and silencing, not just by the most active perpetrators, but on the part of all the venal quislings and hangers on in their orbit. Virginia writes. Don't be fooled by those in Epstein's circle who said they didn't know what Epstein was doing. Anyone who spent any significant amount of time with Epstein saw him touching girls in ways you wouldn't want a creepy old man touching your daughter.
They can't say they didn't know he was raping children, but they can say they didn't know he was raping children, but they were not blind. Not to mention the fact that many prominent people were still associating with him years after his convictions. Epstein offered many of the men in his circle sex with the females. He and Gillian Maxwell trafficked both girls and women. I know because I lived it, but even the men who didn't partake of the famous, the favours Epstein offered could see the naked photos on his walls and the naked girls on his islands or by his swimming pools.
Epstein not only didn't hide what was happening, he took a certain glee in making people watch, she continues. Each one of us can make positive change. I truly believe that. I hope for a world in which predators are punished, not protected. Victims are treated with compassion, not shamed, and powerful people face the same consequences as anyone else. Imagining it is the first step in my mind. I hold a picture of a girl reaching out for help and easily finding it.
I picture a woman two who, having come to terms with her childhood pain, feels that it's within her power to take action against those who hurt her. And Lords, I imagine that to hear.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
The years of dirty campaigning, and not least for ensuring that this is an. Annual occurrence. I, of course,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Annual occurrence. I, of course, congratulate all today's fine maidens. What an auspicious beginning in the house. Yeah. So many issues worthy of discussion. But I repeat my plea of many years for the enforcement of equal pay law not to be left as currently in statute, to women workers themselves, but, my Lords, five years from Sarah Everard's kidnap, rape and murder. And whilst too many wealthy and powerful men hope that the latest terrifying war will provide convenient distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking and abuse scandal, I wish to use my remaining time to remember the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Having read her memoir, Nobody's Girl, I commend it to to to everyone in your Lordships House. But goodness me, it's a very hard. As well as a compelling read it. It's a remarkable testament to rights, justice and action and to human courage, resilience and solidarity. But it's also about crimes of incredible cruelty against girls and women on an industrial scale, under the gaze, and even with the complicity of some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the world.
And, my Lords, it's that very wealth and power that led to so much complicity, denialism and silencing, not just by the most active perpetrators, but on the part of all the venal quislings and hangers on in their orbit. Virginia writes. Don't be fooled by those in Epstein's circle who said they didn't know what Epstein was doing. Anyone who spent any significant amount of time with Epstein saw him touching girls in ways you wouldn't want a creepy old man touching your daughter.
They can't say they didn't know he was raping children, but they can say they didn't know he was raping children, but they were not blind. Not to mention the fact that many prominent people were still associating with him years after his convictions. Epstein offered many of the men in his circle sex with the females. He and Gillian Maxwell trafficked both girls and women. I know because I lived it, but even the men who didn't partake of the famous, the favours Epstein offered could see the naked photos on his walls and the naked girls on his islands or by his swimming pools.
Epstein not only didn't hide what was happening, he took a certain glee in making people watch, she continues. Each one of us can make positive change. I truly believe that. I hope for a world in which predators are punished, not protected. Victims are treated with compassion, not shamed, and powerful people face the same consequences as anyone else. Imagining it is the first step in my mind. I hold a picture of a girl reaching out for help and easily finding it.
I picture a woman two who, having come to terms with her childhood pain, feels that it's within her power to take action against those who hurt her. And Lords, I imagine that to hear.
12:40
Lord Bates (Conservative)
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Lord Bates (Conservative)
It's an honour to speak in this debate where we've had so many excellent and inspiring speeches for maiden speeches so far, and one more to come immediately after me, more to come immediately after me, so I'll get on with it. My my premise of my speech is a very simple one, a very profound one, and that is that it is women and girls who benefit overwhelmingly from UK overseas development assistance. If that is so, then it follows that women and girls will be the prime people who suffer as a result of cuts in overseas development assistance.
Yeah. On the 5th of February, the Foreign Secretary made a courageous visit to the front line refugee camps in Sudan and Chad to see for herself what was happening there. When she returned to the House of Commons, she gave a very powerful statement where she said that in those camps, 85% of the women and children who were there were women, were women who had fled the most horrendous violence and violations. The Foreign Secretary was reminding us of a well-established fact that the prime beneficiaries of UK aid have always been women and children.
The reason for this was that the bias was for a very good reason. Women and girls were all too often in the front line when it came to conflict, and the back of the line when it came to education, healthcare, safe water and economic empowerment. Our aid was meant to address this imbalance and it succeeded. We gave, they received, but we also gained as a result. It follows, therefore, that when we cut aid, the hardest are the element of that fall falls on vulnerable women and children.
Cuts already announced to UK contributions to the Global Fund to Gavi vaccination Alliance are estimated by the one campaign to be likely to result in 620,000 preventable deaths. Most of those deaths will be under-fives. An article in the British Medical Journal on the 10th of September 2025 gave one example of the effect of these cuts. Nikki Ignacio pointed out that, and I quote the planned 46% 46% reduction in Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office health spending in 2526 includes cuts to Women's integrated sexual health programme.
This is a cruel proposal at a time of acute public health crisis for all women and girls. These cuts are predicted to leave millions of women and girls without access to contraception, resulting in unintended pregnancies and thousands of maternal deaths, end quote. The government's own equality Impact Assessment, published last year, expressed concern over the impact of gender equality of cuts in bilateral spending on overseas aid. But what's the point of an impact assessment if it doesn't impact on the policy? It's assessing the full scale of the cuts now being implemented to UK aid is unprecedented.
The UK aid budget is being cut, cut faster than in any other G7 country, including the United States. Yet this is from a government which was elected on a manifesto pledge which promised not only to maintain aid at 9.5%, but to return it to 0.7% as soon as possible. It is the single most regressive policy for women and girls, I can recall, and yet it seems to have passed through the house almost on the nod. I make these remarks not personally against Ministers and members opposite, who I know care deeply and passionately about international social justice.
Also, I make them in the deep humility of speaking from these benches, where our policy on cutting aid is even more draconian and unworthy of the efforts of people like Sir Andrew Mitchell and Lord Cashman, who pledged and implemented a policy of 0.7% when in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, not because it was popular or fiscally prudent, because it was the right and responsible thing to do for the sixth richest nation on earth. But we're not in government, and the opposition party opposite is, and our duty is to hold them to account.
So I've got one question for Baroness Smith of Malvern, who I respect enormously when she comes to respond to this debate from the despatch box, will she acknowledge from the despatch box that the most vulnerable women and girls of our world will suffer disproportionately because of the cuts being implemented? If so, will she ask the two women in charge of this policy, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Foreign Secretary, to change this deeply damaging and unconscionable policy? Such a change will require courage.
But as Baroness Lloyd reminded us at the beginning of this debate, courage calls to courage everywhere, rather.
Yeah. On the 5th of February, the Foreign Secretary made a courageous visit to the front line refugee camps in Sudan and Chad to see for herself what was happening there. When she returned to the House of Commons, she gave a very powerful statement where she said that in those camps, 85% of the women and children who were there were women, were women who had fled the most horrendous violence and violations. The Foreign Secretary was reminding us of a well-established fact that the prime beneficiaries of UK aid have always been women and children.
The reason for this was that the bias was for a very good reason. Women and girls were all too often in the front line when it came to conflict, and the back of the line when it came to education, healthcare, safe water and economic empowerment. Our aid was meant to address this imbalance and it succeeded. We gave, they received, but we also gained as a result. It follows, therefore, that when we cut aid, the hardest are the element of that fall falls on vulnerable women and children.
Cuts already announced to UK contributions to the Global Fund to Gavi vaccination Alliance are estimated by the one campaign to be likely to result in 620,000 preventable deaths. Most of those deaths will be under-fives. An article in the British Medical Journal on the 10th of September 2025 gave one example of the effect of these cuts. Nikki Ignacio pointed out that, and I quote the planned 46% 46% reduction in Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office health spending in 2526 includes cuts to Women's integrated sexual health programme.
This is a cruel proposal at a time of acute public health crisis for all women and girls. These cuts are predicted to leave millions of women and girls without access to contraception, resulting in unintended pregnancies and thousands of maternal deaths, end quote. The government's own equality Impact Assessment, published last year, expressed concern over the impact of gender equality of cuts in bilateral spending on overseas aid. But what's the point of an impact assessment if it doesn't impact on the policy? It's assessing the full scale of the cuts now being implemented to UK aid is unprecedented.
The UK aid budget is being cut, cut faster than in any other G7 country, including the United States. Yet this is from a government which was elected on a manifesto pledge which promised not only to maintain aid at 9.5%, but to return it to 0.7% as soon as possible. It is the single most regressive policy for women and girls, I can recall, and yet it seems to have passed through the house almost on the nod. I make these remarks not personally against Ministers and members opposite, who I know care deeply and passionately about international social justice.
Also, I make them in the deep humility of speaking from these benches, where our policy on cutting aid is even more draconian and unworthy of the efforts of people like Sir Andrew Mitchell and Lord Cashman, who pledged and implemented a policy of 0.7% when in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, not because it was popular or fiscally prudent, because it was the right and responsible thing to do for the sixth richest nation on earth. But we're not in government, and the opposition party opposite is, and our duty is to hold them to account.
So I've got one question for Baroness Smith of Malvern, who I respect enormously when she comes to respond to this debate from the despatch box, will she acknowledge from the despatch box that the most vulnerable women and girls of our world will suffer disproportionately because of the cuts being implemented? If so, will she ask the two women in charge of this policy, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Foreign Secretary, to change this deeply damaging and unconscionable policy? Such a change will require courage.
But as Baroness Lloyd reminded us at the beginning of this debate, courage calls to courage everywhere, rather.
12:45
Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush (Labour)
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Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush (Labour)
My Lords. >> The House for. >> The first time and the last of the maidens to be making my speech the maidens to be making my speech today. And what a hard act to follow. I do so with deep humility and heartfelt gratitude to all those who have welcomed me so generously from across the house. I offer my sincere thanks to my supporters. Baroness Casey a brilliant champion of vulnerable people and difficult causes, and Lord Alli whose warmth and wisdom have guided me as I take my first steps here.
Like others today, I also want to remember my dear friend Baroness Margaret McDonagh, a formidable woman who changed my party and our country for the better, and who would just be so proud to see me here today. My thanks also go to the staff of this house whose quiet professionalism sustains our democracy day by day, and who have shown remarkable patience. And I actually think quite a lot of bemusement, as I have repeatedly failed to orientate myself in this magnificent but labyrinthine building.
My Lords, I am proud to take my seat as Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush. My title honours my grandparents, Tom and Mary Basquill, who, like so many families, settled in London after the war to help rebuild this country. My grandad was originally from rural Ireland and he raised five children on the labourer's wage and my grandmother was from Wales. She was a secretary and was, quite frankly, the smartest woman I have ever known. They met in a boarding house in the 1940s in Shepherd's Bush.
They got married, they worked hard, they raised their family and made most of what life had given them. My mum is their middle child. In 1965, on the day of her 15th birthday, she was made to leave school. No qualifications, no prospects, no plan. Because at that time nobody really cared what working class children wanted to do with their lives. Nobody thought about the contribution they could make or the difference they could make to our country. She went on to have me at 19 and my brother at 20, and for much of our childhood, she brought us up on her own and it was
**** Possible New Speaker ****
hard. And I'm biased, but I think she did magnificently. Did. I did not grow up in a political
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I did not grow up in a political family, but growing up in my family made me political. There were challenges and there were hardships, but mine is a proud, clever family who just get on with it and meet life's dramas with humour and tenacity. And if I can bring even one ounce of their decency, drive one ounce of their decency, drive and common sense to this house, I will have done them all proud. It is evidence of what they made possible, and what our great country makes possible.
That a girl from a high rise block of flats in a council estate in Shepherd's Bush, and I believe the first Tracey to ever enter your Lordships House should now stand here on the parliamentary estate addressing you all, my Lords. Today's debate marking International Women's Day is a moment to celebrate progress, but also to confront the challenges that remain, and I hope the House will indulge me. I want, as I want to talk briefly on the experiences of working class boys, not to detract from the focus on women and girls, but because the futures of both are so deeply connected.
Many working class boys arrive at school less ready to learn at the end of primary school, less than half of all boys on free school meals meet the expected levels at reading, writing and maths. They achieve lower outcomes at GCSE and A-level and are more likely to be excluded from school than girls. They are less likely to move into higher education, and those gaps follow them into adulthood, where young men are now more significantly more likely than women to be out to be out of education, employment or training.
I know these boys. They grew up on my estate. They went to my schools, they are my friends. And they also face profound social challenges to increasingly, we are all living our lives online, and some of what they find there is deeply harmful, and it is specifically targeted at them. I work at Paul Reed, which is the UK's terrorism reinsurer and previously with the National Citizen Service, and on the government's review into opportunity and integration, led so brilliantly by Baroness Casey.
And I have seen through that work how some young men are alienated and can be drawn into some of the most harmful spaces children, because that's what they are, are exposed to a mix of extreme propaganda, violent pornography, misogynistic narratives and material that blurs the line between fantasy grievance and real world harm. In recent years, 1 in 5 terror related arrests are of those under 18, including a child as young as 11, and most have been radicalised online.
These are some of the worst things that people can be arrested for, and 1 in 5 of them are under 18. There are other outcomes of these reduced out. There are other consequences of these reduced outcomes for boys, not just for our social cohesion, but dare I say, in this House, but for our politics as well. That just cannot be ignored. Now, none of this is an excuse for violence, nor should it be ever treated as one. Violence against women and girls is a profound injustice that we must confront directly and unequivocally.
But we know that a society that invests in marginalised boys will be creating safer futures for our women. So where you start from in life doesn't always determine where you end up. But none of us make our way on our own. And I believe very strongly that by improving the outcomes of our young boys, we are improving our future for all. I thank you all for your patience today, and I look forward to learning so much from you in the years ahead.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Well done. My Lords. And fellow Baroness Cass. It is.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
It is. With utter joy that I welcome my noble friend, the Baroness Paul of noble friend, the Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush into the house today. May you be the first Tracy, today. May you be the first Tracy, but not the last. She is, as I think you have now, gathered across think you have now, gathered across the benches. Another trooper from the McDonough School of Politicians and Political Life. You could almost call it the best stable going.
Tracy. Sorry, my noble friend. Has had a lifetime of public service dedicated to her political party. I often feel in public life we forget how important political parties are of all different types and organisations. Often people dedicate their lives to them, and without them we would not have a flourishing democracy. And I think it's important that we always recognise that people that were below stairs are now above stairs. People that were behind the scenes are now in front of the scenes.
The back room has become the front room, and I think that's a really important part of political life and our democracy. And I think I would like to thank all the noble Baroness Cass here today from across all the benches for your good work supporting our democracy. Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush, my noble friend has already shown today in her speech her extraordinary determination to bring both intellect and heart into this chamber. I have worked with her in many different guises, and I want just to alight on two Baroness Paul has for the last ten years worked in the space of counter-terrorism and dealing with extremism has already today shown how important that work is, how it knits our
Like others today, I also want to remember my dear friend Baroness Margaret McDonagh, a formidable woman who changed my party and our country for the better, and who would just be so proud to see me here today. My thanks also go to the staff of this house whose quiet professionalism sustains our democracy day by day, and who have shown remarkable patience. And I actually think quite a lot of bemusement, as I have repeatedly failed to orientate myself in this magnificent but labyrinthine building.
My Lords, I am proud to take my seat as Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush. My title honours my grandparents, Tom and Mary Basquill, who, like so many families, settled in London after the war to help rebuild this country. My grandad was originally from rural Ireland and he raised five children on the labourer's wage and my grandmother was from Wales. She was a secretary and was, quite frankly, the smartest woman I have ever known. They met in a boarding house in the 1940s in Shepherd's Bush.
They got married, they worked hard, they raised their family and made most of what life had given them. My mum is their middle child. In 1965, on the day of her 15th birthday, she was made to leave school. No qualifications, no prospects, no plan. Because at that time nobody really cared what working class children wanted to do with their lives. Nobody thought about the contribution they could make or the difference they could make to our country. She went on to have me at 19 and my brother at 20, and for much of our childhood, she brought us up on her own and it was
**** Possible New Speaker ****
hard. And I'm biased, but I think she did magnificently. Did. I did not grow up in a political
**** Possible New Speaker ****
I did not grow up in a political family, but growing up in my family made me political. There were challenges and there were hardships, but mine is a proud, clever family who just get on with it and meet life's dramas with humour and tenacity. And if I can bring even one ounce of their decency, drive one ounce of their decency, drive and common sense to this house, I will have done them all proud. It is evidence of what they made possible, and what our great country makes possible.
That a girl from a high rise block of flats in a council estate in Shepherd's Bush, and I believe the first Tracey to ever enter your Lordships House should now stand here on the parliamentary estate addressing you all, my Lords. Today's debate marking International Women's Day is a moment to celebrate progress, but also to confront the challenges that remain, and I hope the House will indulge me. I want, as I want to talk briefly on the experiences of working class boys, not to detract from the focus on women and girls, but because the futures of both are so deeply connected.
Many working class boys arrive at school less ready to learn at the end of primary school, less than half of all boys on free school meals meet the expected levels at reading, writing and maths. They achieve lower outcomes at GCSE and A-level and are more likely to be excluded from school than girls. They are less likely to move into higher education, and those gaps follow them into adulthood, where young men are now more significantly more likely than women to be out to be out of education, employment or training.
I know these boys. They grew up on my estate. They went to my schools, they are my friends. And they also face profound social challenges to increasingly, we are all living our lives online, and some of what they find there is deeply harmful, and it is specifically targeted at them. I work at Paul Reed, which is the UK's terrorism reinsurer and previously with the National Citizen Service, and on the government's review into opportunity and integration, led so brilliantly by Baroness Casey.
And I have seen through that work how some young men are alienated and can be drawn into some of the most harmful spaces children, because that's what they are, are exposed to a mix of extreme propaganda, violent pornography, misogynistic narratives and material that blurs the line between fantasy grievance and real world harm. In recent years, 1 in 5 terror related arrests are of those under 18, including a child as young as 11, and most have been radicalised online.
These are some of the worst things that people can be arrested for, and 1 in 5 of them are under 18. There are other outcomes of these reduced out. There are other consequences of these reduced outcomes for boys, not just for our social cohesion, but dare I say, in this House, but for our politics as well. That just cannot be ignored. Now, none of this is an excuse for violence, nor should it be ever treated as one. Violence against women and girls is a profound injustice that we must confront directly and unequivocally.
But we know that a society that invests in marginalised boys will be creating safer futures for our women. So where you start from in life doesn't always determine where you end up. But none of us make our way on our own. And I believe very strongly that by improving the outcomes of our young boys, we are improving our future for all. I thank you all for your patience today, and I look forward to learning so much from you in the years ahead.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Well done. My Lords. And fellow Baroness Cass. It is.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
It is. With utter joy that I welcome my noble friend, the Baroness Paul of noble friend, the Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush into the house today. May you be the first Tracy, today. May you be the first Tracy, but not the last. She is, as I think you have now, gathered across think you have now, gathered across the benches. Another trooper from the McDonough School of Politicians and Political Life. You could almost call it the best stable going.
Tracy. Sorry, my noble friend. Has had a lifetime of public service dedicated to her political party. I often feel in public life we forget how important political parties are of all different types and organisations. Often people dedicate their lives to them, and without them we would not have a flourishing democracy. And I think it's important that we always recognise that people that were below stairs are now above stairs. People that were behind the scenes are now in front of the scenes.
The back room has become the front room, and I think that's a really important part of political life and our democracy. And I think I would like to thank all the noble Baroness Cass here today from across all the benches for your good work supporting our democracy. Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush, my noble friend has already shown today in her speech her extraordinary determination to bring both intellect and heart into this chamber. I have worked with her in many different guises, and I want just to alight on two Baroness Paul has for the last ten years worked in the space of counter-terrorism and dealing with extremism has already today shown how important that work is, how it knits our
12:54
Baroness Casey of Blackstock (Crossbench)
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Baroness Casey of Blackstock (Crossbench)
fabric of life together and without which we do not enjoy our safety which we do not enjoy our safety and our security. But in amongst it, which she hasn't mentioned today, which she hasn't mentioned today, is that she has driven a lot of the work to inform both support to the work to inform both support to the individuals and families whose lives have been traumatically lives have been traumatically inflicted and changed because of extremism and terrorism. That shows, more than anything.
Alongside the work at the NCS, that Tracy will always bring those less fortunate to this chamber with heart, with courage and with determination, I honour and salute you and the other maidens here today, joining these benches of actually formidable, wonderful and challenging women. You are most welcome and I'm honoured to be of a support to you. I am also obviously thoroughly enjoyed the maiden speeches of everybody else, and I'm slightly panicked by those that followed you in your support, and I don't feel I've done as good a job as some of the others, but I always do my best.
I. As always, I am grateful to the noble Baroness Lloyd of EFRA, and I will be extremely grateful to the Baroness Smith, my former boss of Melbourne. I know that you indulge me every single year in allowing me to have the ability to read out the names of women killed in the last 12 months where the principal suspect is a man. This year I go ahead of my honourable, my dear friend and honourable colleague, the member from next door from Birmingham and Yardley, who will read out the list herself in the way that she always has done, honouring those women in the place next door on the 12th of March, with your support and agreement, I take this opportunity to read out the names collated by the Femicide Census of the women and girls aged eight, aged 14 and above, and two children included in this list who have either been killed by a man or, in the circumstances where the case is yet to be tried, where the principal suspect is a male.
Before I begin, I wanted to take pause and just acknowledge that almost 1 in 5 of these women this year was killed by their own son, a ratio that is hard to countenance and is higher than is ever usually the case here in the United Kingdom. And so to in the United Kingdom. And so to the names Rachini, lat parks, Delia Mctierney, Lucy Harrison Lord Alli, Zarina Khani, Judith Law, Jane Riddell, Dawn Kerr, Victoria Adams, Simone Smith, Brigitta Razzoli, Angela Chetty, Joanne Penny, Michelle Egg, Bailey, Carmenza, Valencia.
Trujillo, Rachel Dixon, Claire Anderson. Pam Paramjeet. Kaur, Claire. Burns, Sarah. Reynolds Hain to vu. Rebecca. Campbell, pariah. Lord Vaizey. Unnamed 40s, killed on the 17th of April, 2025. Tracy Davies, Pamela Monroe, Amy Pike, Elizabeth Tamarau, Tammy Odunsi, Neena Cheema, Catherine Perkins, Margaret McGowan, Ellen Cook, Rachel Vaughan, Marjana Osman Vergara, Castro Mendez, Miriam McDonald, Mary Marie. Green, Mandy. Riley, Samantha Murphy, Isabella. Izzy. Knight, Christina. Alan. Alexander, Annabel.
Rook, Ryan. Coulson, Leilani. Namalata, Irene. Mugamba. Unnamed. 40s killed June the 26th, 2025. Nikla Patel, Sarah Montgomery, Angela Botham, fortune, Gomo Phyllis Daly, Gwyneth Carter, Stephanie Blundell, Brenda Breed, Vanessa White plus her two children James, 14, Sarah, 13, Courtney. Courtney. Angus. Neeru Cheema, Kimberly Thompson, Sara miller, Paris. Kendall. Sufia. Khatun, Zahwa. Salama mukhtar. Naim. Wilansky, Donna nirodha. Lapine, Noelle. Heller, Cheryl. Wilkins, Helena Hassan, also known as Lena Tia Langdon, Nadata Bob, Lena Sang, June Bunyan.
Michelle Thompson, Anne Green, Shelly Davies, Ajani Sandia, Catalina Burley, Cyrus Bailey, Sonia Exelby, Agni Dracaena, Michelle Kennedy, Angela. Challis, Stephanie Irons, Kezia nurse, Natalie. Egan, Colleen. Westerman, Katie. Fox, Lani. Williams, Lily. Loginova, Xiong, K, Julie. Wilson, Maria. Sakano, Lisa. Smith, Janet. Bowen, Samantha. Lee, Lisa Marie Hopkins, Jilly. Levey, Tania. Williams, Gloria de la Sarai, Vanessa Hart, Lisa Denton, Vanessa Poultney, Lord Gardiner, Helen Rundell, Anam Rafay, Rita Rowley, Amal.
Righton, Carla Maria Georgescu, Helen. Bird, Helen. Helen. Bird, Angela. Clayton, Naomi. MacIvor I beg leave of this room to mark today. Also the fifth anniversary of the death of Sarah Everard. Raped, tortured and murdered by a serving police officer five years ago. May she and all the 106 women and the two children named today. Rest in peace. Thank you.
Alongside the work at the NCS, that Tracy will always bring those less fortunate to this chamber with heart, with courage and with determination, I honour and salute you and the other maidens here today, joining these benches of actually formidable, wonderful and challenging women. You are most welcome and I'm honoured to be of a support to you. I am also obviously thoroughly enjoyed the maiden speeches of everybody else, and I'm slightly panicked by those that followed you in your support, and I don't feel I've done as good a job as some of the others, but I always do my best.
I. As always, I am grateful to the noble Baroness Lloyd of EFRA, and I will be extremely grateful to the Baroness Smith, my former boss of Melbourne. I know that you indulge me every single year in allowing me to have the ability to read out the names of women killed in the last 12 months where the principal suspect is a man. This year I go ahead of my honourable, my dear friend and honourable colleague, the member from next door from Birmingham and Yardley, who will read out the list herself in the way that she always has done, honouring those women in the place next door on the 12th of March, with your support and agreement, I take this opportunity to read out the names collated by the Femicide Census of the women and girls aged eight, aged 14 and above, and two children included in this list who have either been killed by a man or, in the circumstances where the case is yet to be tried, where the principal suspect is a male.
Before I begin, I wanted to take pause and just acknowledge that almost 1 in 5 of these women this year was killed by their own son, a ratio that is hard to countenance and is higher than is ever usually the case here in the United Kingdom. And so to in the United Kingdom. And so to the names Rachini, lat parks, Delia Mctierney, Lucy Harrison Lord Alli, Zarina Khani, Judith Law, Jane Riddell, Dawn Kerr, Victoria Adams, Simone Smith, Brigitta Razzoli, Angela Chetty, Joanne Penny, Michelle Egg, Bailey, Carmenza, Valencia.
Trujillo, Rachel Dixon, Claire Anderson. Pam Paramjeet. Kaur, Claire. Burns, Sarah. Reynolds Hain to vu. Rebecca. Campbell, pariah. Lord Vaizey. Unnamed 40s, killed on the 17th of April, 2025. Tracy Davies, Pamela Monroe, Amy Pike, Elizabeth Tamarau, Tammy Odunsi, Neena Cheema, Catherine Perkins, Margaret McGowan, Ellen Cook, Rachel Vaughan, Marjana Osman Vergara, Castro Mendez, Miriam McDonald, Mary Marie. Green, Mandy. Riley, Samantha Murphy, Isabella. Izzy. Knight, Christina. Alan. Alexander, Annabel.
Rook, Ryan. Coulson, Leilani. Namalata, Irene. Mugamba. Unnamed. 40s killed June the 26th, 2025. Nikla Patel, Sarah Montgomery, Angela Botham, fortune, Gomo Phyllis Daly, Gwyneth Carter, Stephanie Blundell, Brenda Breed, Vanessa White plus her two children James, 14, Sarah, 13, Courtney. Courtney. Angus. Neeru Cheema, Kimberly Thompson, Sara miller, Paris. Kendall. Sufia. Khatun, Zahwa. Salama mukhtar. Naim. Wilansky, Donna nirodha. Lapine, Noelle. Heller, Cheryl. Wilkins, Helena Hassan, also known as Lena Tia Langdon, Nadata Bob, Lena Sang, June Bunyan.
Michelle Thompson, Anne Green, Shelly Davies, Ajani Sandia, Catalina Burley, Cyrus Bailey, Sonia Exelby, Agni Dracaena, Michelle Kennedy, Angela. Challis, Stephanie Irons, Kezia nurse, Natalie. Egan, Colleen. Westerman, Katie. Fox, Lani. Williams, Lily. Loginova, Xiong, K, Julie. Wilson, Maria. Sakano, Lisa. Smith, Janet. Bowen, Samantha. Lee, Lisa Marie Hopkins, Jilly. Levey, Tania. Williams, Gloria de la Sarai, Vanessa Hart, Lisa Denton, Vanessa Poultney, Lord Gardiner, Helen Rundell, Anam Rafay, Rita Rowley, Amal.
Righton, Carla Maria Georgescu, Helen. Bird, Helen. Helen. Bird, Angela. Clayton, Naomi. MacIvor I beg leave of this room to mark today. Also the fifth anniversary of the death of Sarah Everard. Raped, tortured and murdered by a serving police officer five years ago. May she and all the 106 women and the two children named today. Rest in peace. Thank you.
13:02
Baroness Thornton (Labour)
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Baroness Thornton (Labour)
Yes. >> Noble sisters and brothers. I am honoured to follow my friend to noble Lady Baroness Casey, who has noble Lady Baroness Casey, who has reminded us all of the price women pay for the misogyny and violence pay for the misogyny and violence still here in our liberal democratic society today. And every woman's death means a family is shattered and has to live with the consequences of the murder of their mom or their grandma, their sisters, their auntie or their friend.
And the list read out by the noble Lady Baroness Casey reminds us that this violence and sexual violence is visited on women and girls across the world, as has been mentioned by many noble Lords today in the debate. My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary said recently about Sudan, and I quote, the world must not look away. The international community has failed the women of Sudan, the stories of brutal attacks, sexual torture, public rape used as weapons in conflict against fleeing women and children are truly horrendous.
This is a war waged on women's bodies. Yet too often these stories are not heard from the world Turns its Back and went on to say the UK is stepping up support for survivors and we will not look away. The world must come together to stem the bloodshed, protect women and girls and drive urgent momentum towards peace. I'm very glad that she said that and I'm sure everyone in the house would be also. But I also share concerns about our aid budget and the effect it will have in these circumstances.
My Lords, these debates are often honour the women and indeed men who have fought over the millennia for a rise in equality. Sometimes it is our mums and grandmas we honour. Sometimes it's Malala or Mary Wollstonecraft Fawcett, the Pankhurst, the Matchgirls. Jayaben Desai and Grunwick. I was there on the picket line. I have to say Grunwick. We are honouring the women on whose shoulders we stand and the maiden speeches. This galaxy of Baroness Cass maiden speeches today gladdens my heart that you are all here with us.
And I also congratulate my noble friend, the Minister, on her first International Women's Day speech. I think it might be my 25th. I'm not absolutely sure. And there are years, though we have had to fight to have this debate at all. And I pay tribute to my noble friend Baroness Gale and indeed other noble other women, other Baroness Cass on the benches across the house. We've had to fight to have this debate, and we have sometimes been relegated to late at night and even into grand committee.
I want to use my remaining few minutes to honour one of our own. That's my fellow Bradford and the. And my hon. The hon. My hon. Friend Baroness Shah MP. The book honoured, which he has written, tells us of being working class, living in poverty, the racism, the punishment of the honour based system on her family when her father deserted them, Magnus says in her book my thoughts, my fight started in the womb. I mean, because I was born a girl, my father didn't pick me up until he had a son leaving school at 16, forced marriage at 15, bringing up her two siblings when her mother was imprisoned after a life of abuse and coercion, and trying to protect her daughter, my friend became a campaigner and this led her into politics.
She has also built a great and successful career for herself to support her family, and she was sustained in her campaigning by the Southall Black Sisters. And I want to mark how much I admire and credit the work of these sisters over many years. Before running against George Galloway in Bradford West in 1950, Naz published a blog about her family's history because, quite rightly, she said if she didn't own her own story, it was right ripe for exploitation.
But she was telling that as a campaigner who had fought for her mother. Now this book tells a profoundly personal way, someone who has lived through these horrors and has shaped her politics. And at the end, what is remarkable read. It's a book which is a testament to the strength and resilience of this woman, and indeed many of the women we honour today. I do not intend to mention George Galloway again, except to say, as someone who went home to Bradford for six weeks to work in NASA's campaign, it was one of those wonderful moments in politics when we overturned his majority resoundingly.
And, my Lords, we did it in large measure because women from all our communities in Bradford supported Nars and saw, through the misogynistic politics of the then respect party. Yes. And in his moving speech that the county spoke of, he is very puzzling speech. But I agree with Nat, who said and this is very typical, I thought, get over yourself, mate. You were the pussycat who lapped imaginary milk on Big Brother. It is important, my Lords, to honour our sisters in struggle wherever we find them.
And that is why today is so important.
And the list read out by the noble Lady Baroness Casey reminds us that this violence and sexual violence is visited on women and girls across the world, as has been mentioned by many noble Lords today in the debate. My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary said recently about Sudan, and I quote, the world must not look away. The international community has failed the women of Sudan, the stories of brutal attacks, sexual torture, public rape used as weapons in conflict against fleeing women and children are truly horrendous.
This is a war waged on women's bodies. Yet too often these stories are not heard from the world Turns its Back and went on to say the UK is stepping up support for survivors and we will not look away. The world must come together to stem the bloodshed, protect women and girls and drive urgent momentum towards peace. I'm very glad that she said that and I'm sure everyone in the house would be also. But I also share concerns about our aid budget and the effect it will have in these circumstances.
My Lords, these debates are often honour the women and indeed men who have fought over the millennia for a rise in equality. Sometimes it is our mums and grandmas we honour. Sometimes it's Malala or Mary Wollstonecraft Fawcett, the Pankhurst, the Matchgirls. Jayaben Desai and Grunwick. I was there on the picket line. I have to say Grunwick. We are honouring the women on whose shoulders we stand and the maiden speeches. This galaxy of Baroness Cass maiden speeches today gladdens my heart that you are all here with us.
And I also congratulate my noble friend, the Minister, on her first International Women's Day speech. I think it might be my 25th. I'm not absolutely sure. And there are years, though we have had to fight to have this debate at all. And I pay tribute to my noble friend Baroness Gale and indeed other noble other women, other Baroness Cass on the benches across the house. We've had to fight to have this debate, and we have sometimes been relegated to late at night and even into grand committee.
I want to use my remaining few minutes to honour one of our own. That's my fellow Bradford and the. And my hon. The hon. My hon. Friend Baroness Shah MP. The book honoured, which he has written, tells us of being working class, living in poverty, the racism, the punishment of the honour based system on her family when her father deserted them, Magnus says in her book my thoughts, my fight started in the womb. I mean, because I was born a girl, my father didn't pick me up until he had a son leaving school at 16, forced marriage at 15, bringing up her two siblings when her mother was imprisoned after a life of abuse and coercion, and trying to protect her daughter, my friend became a campaigner and this led her into politics.
She has also built a great and successful career for herself to support her family, and she was sustained in her campaigning by the Southall Black Sisters. And I want to mark how much I admire and credit the work of these sisters over many years. Before running against George Galloway in Bradford West in 1950, Naz published a blog about her family's history because, quite rightly, she said if she didn't own her own story, it was right ripe for exploitation.
But she was telling that as a campaigner who had fought for her mother. Now this book tells a profoundly personal way, someone who has lived through these horrors and has shaped her politics. And at the end, what is remarkable read. It's a book which is a testament to the strength and resilience of this woman, and indeed many of the women we honour today. I do not intend to mention George Galloway again, except to say, as someone who went home to Bradford for six weeks to work in NASA's campaign, it was one of those wonderful moments in politics when we overturned his majority resoundingly.
And, my Lords, we did it in large measure because women from all our communities in Bradford supported Nars and saw, through the misogynistic politics of the then respect party. Yes. And in his moving speech that the county spoke of, he is very puzzling speech. But I agree with Nat, who said and this is very typical, I thought, get over yourself, mate. You were the pussycat who lapped imaginary milk on Big Brother. It is important, my Lords, to honour our sisters in struggle wherever we find them.
And that is why today is so important.
13:07
Viscount Stansgate (Labour)
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Viscount Stansgate (Labour)
My Lords. >> My Lords. >> Or can I just say, colleagues, I'm very glad to have the opportunity to contribute to today's debate. And what a pleasure today's debate. And what a pleasure to follow my noble friend Baroness Thornton. And can I begin by congratulating all the maiden speeches today? They were all excellent. They were all enrich the House, and I'm sure they all feel all the better for having given them. And can I also congratulate my noble friend, the Minister, for introducing the date of the way in which she did, and for highlighting an area, which is why I want to take part today.
I want to talk about the position of women in science, and I also want to begin by thanking all those organisations with whom I've been in touch to raise issues that they think are important. So I want to pay tribute to them and place on record in this chamber and in Hansard, the names of the following scientific organisations the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, the Royal Society of Biology, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Chemical Industry, the Physiological Society, the Genetics Society, Applied Microbiology International, the society for Experimental Biology, the campaign for Science and Engineering, the Royal Society and indeed someone who wrote to me from AstraZeneca.
Now I can't do justice to the information I've got. It's all here, and I intend to present it to the librarian of the House for the benefit of members and staff, because it is what you might call a Polaroid. Or perhaps these days, I should say, a screenshot of the current position of women in science. And of course, it's depressing that things do not change as quickly as we would hope. So, colleagues. In a nutshell, women in science in the UK continue to face a cluster of interconnected structural, cultural and career progression barriers.
The most significant issues probably centre on persistent underrepresentation, hostile or exclusionary work environments, slow advancement into senior roles, and systematic biases that begin early in education and get worse throughout their careers. Now, all the societies with a booming Dutch have asked for better data collection and monitoring. And perhaps my noble friend, the Minister, when she winds up, can say something about that point. And all the societies stress the importance of role models. And can I give the house an example? I'm a member of the numeracy for life committee, which met yesterday, and we are discussing the way in which maths is considered difficult, both, especially at a young age, and we had before us partly because of this lack of confidence both by parents and by teachers.
And we had two inspirational witnesses give evidence, one of whom was Professor Hannah Fry, and believe me, what a role model she is. And they talked about the importance of making maths fun because it's such an important determinant of future, of future progress. But if I can turn to some of the major issues rage, take the leaky pipeline, which I'm afraid to say still exists. Women remain underrepresented in Stem fields. At every stage there is gradual improvement. But that's the problem.
It's gradual. Now women make up only about a third, of course, Stem students in higher education. But at current rates, parity in engineering could take 70 years. Women account for about a quarter of UK Stem workforce, and progress is slow enough that equal representation is unlikely. Before 2070, only about 10% of UK inventors on patent applications in 2024 were women, and parity is forecast to be decades away. The Royal Society of Biology says there are persistent gender inequalities across the scientific pipeline, and not enough professors in the sciences.
And the Royal Society of Chemistry says that whereas 48% of women are in undergraduate, it's only 15% are professors. There will apparently be parity by 2067 now. And we know that the median salaries are less. But what I found striking was one report which said that the disparity in bonuses between men and women reaches 80% or more. Now time is pressing and I can't go through everything. And I apologise to those societies to whom I can make no mention. But of course, there are other issues that are familiar to the house.
The society for Experimental Biology reports that derogatory labelling by senior male professors, with no consequences for them, and the dismissal of professional opinions as emotional, and many raise the issue that women still too often have to choose between a career and a family. Now there are some hopeful signs. The society for Chemical Industry says that although their membership is 70 over 30, in proportion under 30 years old, it's 50 over 50. And the Royal Society reports that women funded founded tech companies in the UK raised 3.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2022, which is up 700 million on the previous year.
And that's encouraging. So in closing, I just want to say a few make a few positive points because there are initiatives I haven't got the time to talk about them that are taking effect. And the Royal Society is holding a meeting on Tuesday about the position of women in science in the future, and I'm sure there'll be discussed there. So I want to end by by saying and giving everyone here an invitation next week. Sorry, I'm ten days on the 17th of March.
We hold the annual Stem for Britain event in Parliament. It's organised by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee and I declare an interest as its president. But it brings together and presents the best work of early career scientists in all major disciplines. It's very competitive. They're judged accordingly, and the final prize is given to the person who best explains their work. And I want to just tell the house in finishing that the proportion of women taking part in this year's event is over 50%.
So that is a sign of the future. And all I can say is that
**** Possible New Speaker ****
the future cannot come soon enough. My Lords, in thanking the noble
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My Lords, in thanking the noble Baroness, Lady Lloyd, for initiating and introducing this now initiating and introducing this now annual debate in congratulating all annual debate in congratulating all the excellent maiden speeches and in listening to the many and varied speeches, I can't help reflecting speeches, I can't help reflecting that although there's still a long way to go in many countries, including our own, there is good news to. Now, if I may be personal, I'm told that I am now the longest serving woman in your Lordships House, not the oldest, the longest serving.
And there is, I think, general good news that I'd like to underline. For example, when I graduated in law, only 10% of law graduates were women. Now it's well over 50%. And the same goes for doctors. So that's clear evidence of positive change and should give hope to the engineers and scientists and others who've been speaking about their particular fields. We've also had three women prime Ministers, albeit one on of rather short tenure, and there are
I want to talk about the position of women in science, and I also want to begin by thanking all those organisations with whom I've been in touch to raise issues that they think are important. So I want to pay tribute to them and place on record in this chamber and in Hansard, the names of the following scientific organisations the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, the Royal Society of Biology, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Chemical Industry, the Physiological Society, the Genetics Society, Applied Microbiology International, the society for Experimental Biology, the campaign for Science and Engineering, the Royal Society and indeed someone who wrote to me from AstraZeneca.
Now I can't do justice to the information I've got. It's all here, and I intend to present it to the librarian of the House for the benefit of members and staff, because it is what you might call a Polaroid. Or perhaps these days, I should say, a screenshot of the current position of women in science. And of course, it's depressing that things do not change as quickly as we would hope. So, colleagues. In a nutshell, women in science in the UK continue to face a cluster of interconnected structural, cultural and career progression barriers.
The most significant issues probably centre on persistent underrepresentation, hostile or exclusionary work environments, slow advancement into senior roles, and systematic biases that begin early in education and get worse throughout their careers. Now, all the societies with a booming Dutch have asked for better data collection and monitoring. And perhaps my noble friend, the Minister, when she winds up, can say something about that point. And all the societies stress the importance of role models. And can I give the house an example? I'm a member of the numeracy for life committee, which met yesterday, and we are discussing the way in which maths is considered difficult, both, especially at a young age, and we had before us partly because of this lack of confidence both by parents and by teachers.
And we had two inspirational witnesses give evidence, one of whom was Professor Hannah Fry, and believe me, what a role model she is. And they talked about the importance of making maths fun because it's such an important determinant of future, of future progress. But if I can turn to some of the major issues rage, take the leaky pipeline, which I'm afraid to say still exists. Women remain underrepresented in Stem fields. At every stage there is gradual improvement. But that's the problem.
It's gradual. Now women make up only about a third, of course, Stem students in higher education. But at current rates, parity in engineering could take 70 years. Women account for about a quarter of UK Stem workforce, and progress is slow enough that equal representation is unlikely. Before 2070, only about 10% of UK inventors on patent applications in 2024 were women, and parity is forecast to be decades away. The Royal Society of Biology says there are persistent gender inequalities across the scientific pipeline, and not enough professors in the sciences.
And the Royal Society of Chemistry says that whereas 48% of women are in undergraduate, it's only 15% are professors. There will apparently be parity by 2067 now. And we know that the median salaries are less. But what I found striking was one report which said that the disparity in bonuses between men and women reaches 80% or more. Now time is pressing and I can't go through everything. And I apologise to those societies to whom I can make no mention. But of course, there are other issues that are familiar to the house.
The society for Experimental Biology reports that derogatory labelling by senior male professors, with no consequences for them, and the dismissal of professional opinions as emotional, and many raise the issue that women still too often have to choose between a career and a family. Now there are some hopeful signs. The society for Chemical Industry says that although their membership is 70 over 30, in proportion under 30 years old, it's 50 over 50. And the Royal Society reports that women funded founded tech companies in the UK raised 3.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2022, which is up 700 million on the previous year.
And that's encouraging. So in closing, I just want to say a few make a few positive points because there are initiatives I haven't got the time to talk about them that are taking effect. And the Royal Society is holding a meeting on Tuesday about the position of women in science in the future, and I'm sure there'll be discussed there. So I want to end by by saying and giving everyone here an invitation next week. Sorry, I'm ten days on the 17th of March.
We hold the annual Stem for Britain event in Parliament. It's organised by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee and I declare an interest as its president. But it brings together and presents the best work of early career scientists in all major disciplines. It's very competitive. They're judged accordingly, and the final prize is given to the person who best explains their work. And I want to just tell the house in finishing that the proportion of women taking part in this year's event is over 50%.
So that is a sign of the future. And all I can say is that
**** Possible New Speaker ****
the future cannot come soon enough. My Lords, in thanking the noble
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My Lords, in thanking the noble Baroness, Lady Lloyd, for initiating and introducing this now initiating and introducing this now annual debate in congratulating all annual debate in congratulating all the excellent maiden speeches and in listening to the many and varied speeches, I can't help reflecting speeches, I can't help reflecting that although there's still a long way to go in many countries, including our own, there is good news to. Now, if I may be personal, I'm told that I am now the longest serving woman in your Lordships House, not the oldest, the longest serving.
And there is, I think, general good news that I'd like to underline. For example, when I graduated in law, only 10% of law graduates were women. Now it's well over 50%. And the same goes for doctors. So that's clear evidence of positive change and should give hope to the engineers and scientists and others who've been speaking about their particular fields. We've also had three women prime Ministers, albeit one on of rather short tenure, and there are
13:14
Baroness Hooper (Conservative)
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Baroness Hooper (Conservative)
more women in parliament. And that's evidenced by our maiden that's evidenced by our maiden speakers today. And as already speakers today. And as already pointed out, more women as council leaders and not, I think, as yet, a directly elected mayor who is a directly elected mayor who is a woman. But oh yes, there is a nod. woman. But oh yes, there is a nod. But I also want to point out that, incidentally, these things can go both ways.
And I recently met the first male nurse to become president of the Royal College of Nursing, and he's happy to be called matron. In personal terms, I was the first woman partner in my 100 year old law firm. I was one of a handful of women to be elected in the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979. I was the first woman president of the House, the leading specialist organisation for enlarging and building our links with Latin America, and I was the first woman director on the main board of a leading pharmaceutical public company.
But, my Lords, I think that was because I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, and at a time when it was recognised that more women should be involved in the running and management of commercial enterprises, and those of us with suitable qualifications were positively pushed to do our bit. And I think that's something that is happening now, that there is recognition that there are still things to be done for our for our women in this country.
And, and there are more open minds, I think, towards this. So things have clearly changed greatly since my day. But but I can always improve. So after my perhaps slightly indulgent trip down memory lane, I'd like to focus in particular on the good news from Latin America. It may surprise some people to know that at the moment there are more women ambassadors in London from the 19 Latin American countries than from any other region in the world.
There are also currently women presidents in Mexico, Costa Rica and Venezuela, and in the recent past in Brazil and Argentina and Chile. More women parliamentarians than ever before, thanks in particular to the introduction of quotas. These are valuable role models in countries which are often thought of as being very macho. But this year, my Lords, we have elections for a new secretary general of the United Nations, and as of now, at least four of those candidates are from Latin America.
So Baroness Vere nevertheless, there are the usual problems as well. A recent OECD analysis showed that in many countries, well, in virtually all the countries, education and health for girls and women is still below the level it should be. Employment is almost inevitably in lower paid jobs. 90% of social care jobs, for example, throughout the countries of Latin America. The prevalence of the informal economy in many countries also contributes and that apart from the need to look at the problems of violence and abuse of women and problems over property rights to.
I had hoped to look into some particular aspects of Mexico because of the first woman president in Mexico who's doing such a valiant job, and because of a large meeting in Mexico City this time last year, attended by mostly women and as part of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's program and Committee on Women, which is led by a Mexican lady, Senator Cynthia Lopez. But, my Lords, unfortunately, there's never enough time to say everything that could be said.
I look forward to hearing from the remaining speakers and indeed to the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Marvin, who has a formidable task of winding up such a great array of speakers. And I look forward to celebrating International Women's Day on Sunday.
And I recently met the first male nurse to become president of the Royal College of Nursing, and he's happy to be called matron. In personal terms, I was the first woman partner in my 100 year old law firm. I was one of a handful of women to be elected in the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979. I was the first woman president of the House, the leading specialist organisation for enlarging and building our links with Latin America, and I was the first woman director on the main board of a leading pharmaceutical public company.
But, my Lords, I think that was because I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, and at a time when it was recognised that more women should be involved in the running and management of commercial enterprises, and those of us with suitable qualifications were positively pushed to do our bit. And I think that's something that is happening now, that there is recognition that there are still things to be done for our for our women in this country.
And, and there are more open minds, I think, towards this. So things have clearly changed greatly since my day. But but I can always improve. So after my perhaps slightly indulgent trip down memory lane, I'd like to focus in particular on the good news from Latin America. It may surprise some people to know that at the moment there are more women ambassadors in London from the 19 Latin American countries than from any other region in the world.
There are also currently women presidents in Mexico, Costa Rica and Venezuela, and in the recent past in Brazil and Argentina and Chile. More women parliamentarians than ever before, thanks in particular to the introduction of quotas. These are valuable role models in countries which are often thought of as being very macho. But this year, my Lords, we have elections for a new secretary general of the United Nations, and as of now, at least four of those candidates are from Latin America.
So Baroness Vere nevertheless, there are the usual problems as well. A recent OECD analysis showed that in many countries, well, in virtually all the countries, education and health for girls and women is still below the level it should be. Employment is almost inevitably in lower paid jobs. 90% of social care jobs, for example, throughout the countries of Latin America. The prevalence of the informal economy in many countries also contributes and that apart from the need to look at the problems of violence and abuse of women and problems over property rights to.
I had hoped to look into some particular aspects of Mexico because of the first woman president in Mexico who's doing such a valiant job, and because of a large meeting in Mexico City this time last year, attended by mostly women and as part of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's program and Committee on Women, which is led by a Mexican lady, Senator Cynthia Lopez. But, my Lords, unfortunately, there's never enough time to say everything that could be said.
I look forward to hearing from the remaining speakers and indeed to the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Marvin, who has a formidable task of winding up such a great array of speakers. And I look forward to celebrating International Women's Day on Sunday.
13:19
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party)
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party)
Thank you, thank you. >> Thank you, thank you. >> I congratulate all of our speakers today, and I hope they continue along the lines we've continue along the lines we've heard from them. I want to start in Geneva, where I recently spent a week visiting various United Nations organisations, and I saw how much they've been hollowed out, degraded, cut back by funding withdrawal, particularly from the United States, but also from the UK cuts to official development assistance. This is an issue particularly for women.
I heard and saw first hand how the World Health Organisation has been slashed. Its African regional regional office is majorly affected, losing 638 of 2500 posts. In Geneva. We heard how maternity services care for victims of sexual violence and nutritional provision for malnourished children. A disproportionate number of them likely to be girls, will be cut back. I thought of that yesterday as I was at Porton Down at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory with the all party parliamentary group on antimicrobial resistance, talking about Amr and thinking about an inquiry we conducted jointly with Wash APPG that's water, sanitation and hygiene, about how many maternity facilities, particularly in Africa, lack the most basic facility of running water.
That means risk of infection and the need to use antibiotics prophylactically, which risks feeding Amr. As we talk today, we might think about the women at this moment in labour in those maternity clinics, risking their lives, their babies lives at risk because of inadequate resources, because some people in this world are taking far more resources than they should have the right to. While those women suffer, the cutbacks will only mean that that situation continues, which makes not only those women and babies less safe, but all of us less safe.
But I want to turn now to how to to how the closing down of international public spaces and actors has opened up a space for forces with interests other than global well-being and human and natural flourishing, corporate interests, dubious interests. And I'm not on this occasion talking about President Trump and his so-called border peace. And we have, I'm afraid, seen today in our debate a practical demonstration of this, the slogan for International Women's Day is rights, justice, action, as has been noted by, among others, Baroness D'Souza, Baroness Goudie and Baroness Smith of Llanfaes.
You can find that on the dedicated page on the UN women website, where it notes correctly that this year's event, quote, comes at a time when justice systems are under strain. Conflict, repression and political tensions are weakening the rule of law. We have today, however, heard another slogan give to gain a very different slogan, a very neoliberal slogan, one focussed on the individual, focussed on making a sop to our current system rather than acknowledging the need for radical change.
A slogan that originates with an Opaquely owned website that appears to be a corporate shill. It's suggestive of the philosophy infamously promulgated by the cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried. Now, of course, in jail, so called effective altruism that has helped to build a political culture that practically invites the most egregious forms of capture of our public global spaces by the rich. The haves give, the have nots receive, and the have nots have to avoid challenging the status quo. If they're going to get a few crumbs from the table so they give to gain.
Slogan. If you want to find out more about it. The origins. The Women's Agenda website has a detailed account of the origins of the URL. International Women's day.com, and that.com should be a giveaway. It makes no declaration of its ownership or origins. It is, of course, a name that can simply be bought by anyone. And Women's Agenda says and as far as I can establish rightly, that this is the creation of a London based marketing firm, the About Us part of the website says nothing.
There is no mailing address. The digital regulations require that this says that this is owned by Aurora censures brackets Europe, which is apparently based in London. That's what we know. So what we're seeing is perhaps the impact of search engines, tech companies and maybe us artificial so-called intelligence tools enabling corporate capture. Now, I find very briefly to what I mainly wanted to talk about today, which is the situation of so many women in war zones.
We've had considerable accounts of the women in Afghanistan, and I commend those who've talked about that. I think about the women in Sudan, the women of El Fashir, many of whom now had households because their male partners have been killed. The women in Iran who've been fighting against the regime and now are in jails under the most hideous conditions, with also the assaults that are being put on Iran, women in Palestine, women in Myanmar, women in the Central African states, and of course, women in the US.
System change. That is what those their outstanding maiden speeches. And if I may say so, I am particularly looking forward to the contribution that Baroness MacLeod will make to this House in reminding us of the history, the
**** Possible New Speaker ****
beauty and the potential of the Highlands of Scotland. Here, here. Baroness Lloyd said in her introduction that society has improved and that is undoubtedly the case. All of those women who the case. All of those women who fought for decades, for rights and for change have enabled my daughter for change have enabled my daughter to have choices that were not available to her, her ancestors, or even her mother or her grandmother and my granddaughters, for example, to think more about, worry more
I heard and saw first hand how the World Health Organisation has been slashed. Its African regional regional office is majorly affected, losing 638 of 2500 posts. In Geneva. We heard how maternity services care for victims of sexual violence and nutritional provision for malnourished children. A disproportionate number of them likely to be girls, will be cut back. I thought of that yesterday as I was at Porton Down at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory with the all party parliamentary group on antimicrobial resistance, talking about Amr and thinking about an inquiry we conducted jointly with Wash APPG that's water, sanitation and hygiene, about how many maternity facilities, particularly in Africa, lack the most basic facility of running water.
That means risk of infection and the need to use antibiotics prophylactically, which risks feeding Amr. As we talk today, we might think about the women at this moment in labour in those maternity clinics, risking their lives, their babies lives at risk because of inadequate resources, because some people in this world are taking far more resources than they should have the right to. While those women suffer, the cutbacks will only mean that that situation continues, which makes not only those women and babies less safe, but all of us less safe.
But I want to turn now to how to to how the closing down of international public spaces and actors has opened up a space for forces with interests other than global well-being and human and natural flourishing, corporate interests, dubious interests. And I'm not on this occasion talking about President Trump and his so-called border peace. And we have, I'm afraid, seen today in our debate a practical demonstration of this, the slogan for International Women's Day is rights, justice, action, as has been noted by, among others, Baroness D'Souza, Baroness Goudie and Baroness Smith of Llanfaes.
You can find that on the dedicated page on the UN women website, where it notes correctly that this year's event, quote, comes at a time when justice systems are under strain. Conflict, repression and political tensions are weakening the rule of law. We have today, however, heard another slogan give to gain a very different slogan, a very neoliberal slogan, one focussed on the individual, focussed on making a sop to our current system rather than acknowledging the need for radical change.
A slogan that originates with an Opaquely owned website that appears to be a corporate shill. It's suggestive of the philosophy infamously promulgated by the cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried. Now, of course, in jail, so called effective altruism that has helped to build a political culture that practically invites the most egregious forms of capture of our public global spaces by the rich. The haves give, the have nots receive, and the have nots have to avoid challenging the status quo. If they're going to get a few crumbs from the table so they give to gain.
Slogan. If you want to find out more about it. The origins. The Women's Agenda website has a detailed account of the origins of the URL. International Women's day.com, and that.com should be a giveaway. It makes no declaration of its ownership or origins. It is, of course, a name that can simply be bought by anyone. And Women's Agenda says and as far as I can establish rightly, that this is the creation of a London based marketing firm, the About Us part of the website says nothing.
There is no mailing address. The digital regulations require that this says that this is owned by Aurora censures brackets Europe, which is apparently based in London. That's what we know. So what we're seeing is perhaps the impact of search engines, tech companies and maybe us artificial so-called intelligence tools enabling corporate capture. Now, I find very briefly to what I mainly wanted to talk about today, which is the situation of so many women in war zones.
We've had considerable accounts of the women in Afghanistan, and I commend those who've talked about that. I think about the women in Sudan, the women of El Fashir, many of whom now had households because their male partners have been killed. The women in Iran who've been fighting against the regime and now are in jails under the most hideous conditions, with also the assaults that are being put on Iran, women in Palestine, women in Myanmar, women in the Central African states, and of course, women in the US.
System change. That is what those their outstanding maiden speeches. And if I may say so, I am particularly looking forward to the contribution that Baroness MacLeod will make to this House in reminding us of the history, the
**** Possible New Speaker ****
beauty and the potential of the Highlands of Scotland. Here, here. Baroness Lloyd said in her introduction that society has improved and that is undoubtedly the case. All of those women who the case. All of those women who fought for decades, for rights and for change have enabled my daughter for change have enabled my daughter to have choices that were not available to her, her ancestors, or even her mother or her grandmother and my granddaughters, for example, to think more about, worry more
13:26
Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour)
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Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale (Labour)
about AI than they do about inequality, and one in particular to worry more about beating the other girls football team than worrying about whether she can get the pitch off the boys, the these, these and other women, of course, these and other women, of course, have and girls have built their success and their potential on the success and their potential on the hard work of women down through the ages. But in far too many places in homes around the world today, women are still denied ownership of land, free access to money or proper access to education.
They suffer daily violence or the fear of that violence. They are restricted in their choices and limited in their freedoms. And in such a world, we need to always step up, never step back. Earlier this week, I met with Maggie Banda, the CEO of Warwick, the women's legal resource centre in Malawi. Warwick are the operational partner of the Keep Girls in School scholarships that are sponsored by the McConnell International Foundation. In rural Malawi, 200 girls are successfully completing school and they are in many cases beating the results of the national exams, which are currently favoured towards those girls who attend better provided schools in the towns and even the boarding schools of Malawi.
So they are doing exceptionally well and we're very, very proud of them. And this week, in fact, because of the incredible barrier that exists for girls not just in Malawi but elsewhere in the world due to menstruation, the limitations that are put on them sometimes, and particularly the school environment we are we have launched very successfully this week an appeal for dignity packs for the girls, because when we stigmatise menstruation, we turn our backs on them. And the McConnell International Foundation is not going to do that.
But Maggie Banda is also responsible for the Pamodzi Kucheza Nkansah programme in Malawi. It is the largest programme in the UK funded What Works to Prevent Violence initiative, which I believe may well have been begun by the noble Baroness Nye Baroness Sugg when she was a Minister. This programme is reducing violence against women in Balaka and Lilongwe districts. It is currently impacting on 750,000 people. Changing attitudes in local communities, reforming the local police operations and supporting survivors. It is just one example of what is at risk as a result of our cuts to overseas development assistance.
And yet, Maggie, a proper leader should be somebody we should invest in to make that change in Malawi, not just for the girls that my foundation supports, but for all those others that are affected by violence against women. And there is widespread concern, as passionately described earlier by Lord Hameed, in particular, widespread concern that there may be cuts to the Preventing Sexual Violence initiative or to women peace and security initiatives more generally. And we cannot allow a situation, surely in today's world when we see so much devastating violence and restriction of rights that has been spoken about so eloquently here today, we cannot allow a situation where we make that matter worse rather than better as a country in the modern world.
So I hope that the questions that were asked by, by Lord Bates, by lady, by Lord Ahmad will be answered by the government Ministers speaking today. I have gone over the past 18 months from disappointment at our lack of action to improve our budget on overseas development, to a sense of shame. Last year, when it became clear we were going to spend less money than the conservative government had done for the first time in Labour's history, and now angry about the impact, the impact that girls are going to be left out of school, those who rape and violence victims that we have heard about in this debate, who we will turn our backs on as a result of the cutbacks in programmes, and the girls and women who will be silenced in countries where we no longer support those groups that are advocating for their rights.
This is a time to step up, not for the UK to step back. And I implore Ministers and the government today, this weekend and in the weeks ahead to make give, to gain more than a slogan, to make it a reality and to ensure that we rethink and we reverse those cuts in the short term before the allocations are made. Before the end of this month, we prioritise women and girls in the allocations that will be made from the reduced budget and we give them a chance.
They suffer daily violence or the fear of that violence. They are restricted in their choices and limited in their freedoms. And in such a world, we need to always step up, never step back. Earlier this week, I met with Maggie Banda, the CEO of Warwick, the women's legal resource centre in Malawi. Warwick are the operational partner of the Keep Girls in School scholarships that are sponsored by the McConnell International Foundation. In rural Malawi, 200 girls are successfully completing school and they are in many cases beating the results of the national exams, which are currently favoured towards those girls who attend better provided schools in the towns and even the boarding schools of Malawi.
So they are doing exceptionally well and we're very, very proud of them. And this week, in fact, because of the incredible barrier that exists for girls not just in Malawi but elsewhere in the world due to menstruation, the limitations that are put on them sometimes, and particularly the school environment we are we have launched very successfully this week an appeal for dignity packs for the girls, because when we stigmatise menstruation, we turn our backs on them. And the McConnell International Foundation is not going to do that.
But Maggie Banda is also responsible for the Pamodzi Kucheza Nkansah programme in Malawi. It is the largest programme in the UK funded What Works to Prevent Violence initiative, which I believe may well have been begun by the noble Baroness Nye Baroness Sugg when she was a Minister. This programme is reducing violence against women in Balaka and Lilongwe districts. It is currently impacting on 750,000 people. Changing attitudes in local communities, reforming the local police operations and supporting survivors. It is just one example of what is at risk as a result of our cuts to overseas development assistance.
And yet, Maggie, a proper leader should be somebody we should invest in to make that change in Malawi, not just for the girls that my foundation supports, but for all those others that are affected by violence against women. And there is widespread concern, as passionately described earlier by Lord Hameed, in particular, widespread concern that there may be cuts to the Preventing Sexual Violence initiative or to women peace and security initiatives more generally. And we cannot allow a situation, surely in today's world when we see so much devastating violence and restriction of rights that has been spoken about so eloquently here today, we cannot allow a situation where we make that matter worse rather than better as a country in the modern world.
So I hope that the questions that were asked by, by Lord Bates, by lady, by Lord Ahmad will be answered by the government Ministers speaking today. I have gone over the past 18 months from disappointment at our lack of action to improve our budget on overseas development, to a sense of shame. Last year, when it became clear we were going to spend less money than the conservative government had done for the first time in Labour's history, and now angry about the impact, the impact that girls are going to be left out of school, those who rape and violence victims that we have heard about in this debate, who we will turn our backs on as a result of the cutbacks in programmes, and the girls and women who will be silenced in countries where we no longer support those groups that are advocating for their rights.
This is a time to step up, not for the UK to step back. And I implore Ministers and the government today, this weekend and in the weeks ahead to make give, to gain more than a slogan, to make it a reality and to ensure that we rethink and we reverse those cuts in the short term before the allocations are made. Before the end of this month, we prioritise women and girls in the allocations that will be made from the reduced budget and we give them a chance.
13:30
Baroness Fall (Conservative)
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Baroness Fall (Conservative)
Here, here, here. wonderful maiden speeches I've heard today. A very warm welcome to the House, especially those from the back room like myself and the back room like myself and Baroness Sugg. Many of us gather each year for this debate to think about the challenges in achievements of women across the world living in very, very different circumstances. Girls who excel at school and others who aren't permitted to study. Women nurses, teachers, CEOs who make a huge contribution in professional life while others aren't allowed to leave their homes.
Mums the world over who strive for their children. And for some, that means trying to find the next meal. And we celebrate women in public life, or mindful of those who are prevented or banned from it. But we never forget it's our job here in this chamber to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. Whilst we recognise there is much that binds us together, some for good and some less so. And one such challenge is the rise of online misogyny, a point that's been made in this debate.
Baroness Shah Baroness Jenkin echoes of hate, harassment and discrimination against women and girls impact so many lives. Now, of course, there's nothing new in misogyny, but what is new is the context, the extent to which modern tech enables, amplifies and personalises this discourse. Its tentacles reach into the private spaces it preys on the minds of our children and creates networks and echo chambers which amplify negativity. How those who should be held responsible, responsible hide behind anonymity and deniability, how the tech Barons evade accountability and transparency.
What we are talking about here, my Lords, is sexism, violent porn, sharing of nonconsensual pictures, deepfakes, bullying in a whole variety of ways, all of which undermine confidence and reinforce inequalities. Be no, be under no illusion. This is a global phenomenon. Its impacts may vary depending on internet use, legal frameworks and social attitudes. But its effects on women all over the world, the emotional harm is palpable and growing. We are seeing a huge surge of anxiety and mental health problems, as well as the impact on behavioural issues such as violence against women, issues well known to this chamber and I pay tribute to my colleagues such as Baroness Bertin and Owen for their tireless work on this in this space.
And to Baroness Casey who read out such a moving list just now in this chamber. But today I want to draw your attention to another related problem the danger of a generation of young women and girls whose confidence is undermined from a young age, first in the classroom where they feel less able to speak out, and then playing out later in their lives. Will online misogyny silence a generation of women and girls? It is already well known that women in public life face levels of intimidation greater than their male counterparts.
Many female politicians know to us, site abuse is a factor in deciding to step down and many more will be put off trying. So the question for us is how do we address the problem? The fact is that legal protections are uneven across the world. There is also a disagreement about who is actually responsible for content, and whether regulation is the wrong approach for curtails freedom of speech, taking each in turn. First, accountability were looked at as dodge this for years, laying the blame of content on the users.
Yet these platforms are more than capable of making changes to algorithms, which would prevent users being driven to the worst content or indeed stop content like Grock, which should never have been allowed in the first place. Second, the argument between freedom of speech absolutism and the regulators should not be taken to the extreme. Of course, we do not want the sort of highly censored internet that we see in China. All the censorship without transparency, an army of unknown sentence and palto alto is not the answer.
But society has always drawn its lines. That is the role of us, the legislators. The internet is no exception. Third, anonymity on the web encourages users which offer no disguise to trolls and bullies. And it is time that individuals took responsibility for their online selves. But my Lords, it has never just been about the platforms. We must tackle the issue society wide, addressing education and cultural change. It is said that it takes a village to bring up a child and now that village is online.
But we have no idea who that village is. We need to be proactive and vigilant, encouraging girls to speak out, help boys and girls respect one another, not pit one against the other. That means mentoring, supporting charities like debate and helping women into public life and keeping them here. In summary, my Lords, online misogyny is global and widespread. Young women often face severe online misogyny, with knock on implications for their participation in public life. We should be constantly reassessing safety on the web, not just through regulation, but education, discourse and transparency.
Tech needs to. Tech needs to step up and say, what must we indulge? Determination to stop a generation of women and girls losing their
**** Possible New Speaker ****
voice. Two would like to thank Baroness Lloyd of EFRA for introducing this important debate today. I'd also important debate today. I'd also like to congratulate the Five noble Baroness Shah on their excellent maiden speeches. A black woman maiden speeches. A black woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. This was the catalyst for the civil rights movement. Gender and race often go hand in hand in the struggle for equality.
One of the strongest female role models in my life was
Mums the world over who strive for their children. And for some, that means trying to find the next meal. And we celebrate women in public life, or mindful of those who are prevented or banned from it. But we never forget it's our job here in this chamber to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. Whilst we recognise there is much that binds us together, some for good and some less so. And one such challenge is the rise of online misogyny, a point that's been made in this debate.
Baroness Shah Baroness Jenkin echoes of hate, harassment and discrimination against women and girls impact so many lives. Now, of course, there's nothing new in misogyny, but what is new is the context, the extent to which modern tech enables, amplifies and personalises this discourse. Its tentacles reach into the private spaces it preys on the minds of our children and creates networks and echo chambers which amplify negativity. How those who should be held responsible, responsible hide behind anonymity and deniability, how the tech Barons evade accountability and transparency.
What we are talking about here, my Lords, is sexism, violent porn, sharing of nonconsensual pictures, deepfakes, bullying in a whole variety of ways, all of which undermine confidence and reinforce inequalities. Be no, be under no illusion. This is a global phenomenon. Its impacts may vary depending on internet use, legal frameworks and social attitudes. But its effects on women all over the world, the emotional harm is palpable and growing. We are seeing a huge surge of anxiety and mental health problems, as well as the impact on behavioural issues such as violence against women, issues well known to this chamber and I pay tribute to my colleagues such as Baroness Bertin and Owen for their tireless work on this in this space.
And to Baroness Casey who read out such a moving list just now in this chamber. But today I want to draw your attention to another related problem the danger of a generation of young women and girls whose confidence is undermined from a young age, first in the classroom where they feel less able to speak out, and then playing out later in their lives. Will online misogyny silence a generation of women and girls? It is already well known that women in public life face levels of intimidation greater than their male counterparts.
Many female politicians know to us, site abuse is a factor in deciding to step down and many more will be put off trying. So the question for us is how do we address the problem? The fact is that legal protections are uneven across the world. There is also a disagreement about who is actually responsible for content, and whether regulation is the wrong approach for curtails freedom of speech, taking each in turn. First, accountability were looked at as dodge this for years, laying the blame of content on the users.
Yet these platforms are more than capable of making changes to algorithms, which would prevent users being driven to the worst content or indeed stop content like Grock, which should never have been allowed in the first place. Second, the argument between freedom of speech absolutism and the regulators should not be taken to the extreme. Of course, we do not want the sort of highly censored internet that we see in China. All the censorship without transparency, an army of unknown sentence and palto alto is not the answer.
But society has always drawn its lines. That is the role of us, the legislators. The internet is no exception. Third, anonymity on the web encourages users which offer no disguise to trolls and bullies. And it is time that individuals took responsibility for their online selves. But my Lords, it has never just been about the platforms. We must tackle the issue society wide, addressing education and cultural change. It is said that it takes a village to bring up a child and now that village is online.
But we have no idea who that village is. We need to be proactive and vigilant, encouraging girls to speak out, help boys and girls respect one another, not pit one against the other. That means mentoring, supporting charities like debate and helping women into public life and keeping them here. In summary, my Lords, online misogyny is global and widespread. Young women often face severe online misogyny, with knock on implications for their participation in public life. We should be constantly reassessing safety on the web, not just through regulation, but education, discourse and transparency.
Tech needs to. Tech needs to step up and say, what must we indulge? Determination to stop a generation of women and girls losing their
**** Possible New Speaker ****
voice. Two would like to thank Baroness Lloyd of EFRA for introducing this important debate today. I'd also important debate today. I'd also like to congratulate the Five noble Baroness Shah on their excellent maiden speeches. A black woman maiden speeches. A black woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. This was the catalyst for the civil rights movement. Gender and race often go hand in hand in the struggle for equality.
One of the strongest female role models in my life was
13:36
Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated)
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Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated)
my mother, who came to Britain from Jamaica. She was part of the Windrush generation and she worked Windrush generation and she worked as a nurse. She used to tell me, John, being black is not a John, being black is not a profession and make sure you get a good education. My father, on the other hand, was passionate about cricket. He used to keep saying to me, boy, one day I want to see you me, boy, one day I want to see you at Lords.
He meant Lord's Cricket ground. There are numerous women of colour who have overcome the obstacles of racism and issues connected to gender. They include Mary Seacole, the Crimean War nurse, and the black suffragette Sarah Parker Raymond. More recently, when I was at the BBC, I had the privilege to interview Dame Kelly Holmes, who overcame a challenging upbringing and rose through the ranks in the Army and won two Olympic gold medals. Another interview was with the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-wilkin, who came to England from Jamaica as a child and as noble Lords know, she was a chaplain to the late Queen and to the House of Commons.
I mentioned these people because if you can't see it, you can't be it. And I grew up in the 60s and 70s in Birmingham, when I didn't see black people in prominent positions. So you do need to see these people to inspire you. Although 20% of UK small and medium sized companies are run by women, there is still too much unused business talent among women, especially Bame women. Most corporate boards are still mainly male and white. So my question to the Minister is what further plans do the government have to encourage an increase in female company directors? There are other ongoing issues, such as the earnings gap between men and women.
When I was a district councillor in the Midlands in the 1980s, I remember a lady complaining to me that her take home pay was so low that it wouldn't even take her home. I'm not sure that much has changed since then for women in low paid jobs for all workers, the median hourly gender pay gap is at 12.8%. In the developing world, it is widely recognised that empowering women is an important step to driving economic growth. So my next question for the Minister is what further plans do the government have to help to reduce the gender pay gap? Now, according to this year's Pricewaterhousecooper Women in Work Index, the UK ranks number 17 out of 33 OECD countries for female economic empowerment, with the sixth richest economy in the world.
So surely we can do better than that. So my third question to the Minister is what further plans does the government have to address the fact that the UK ranks so low in female economic empowerment? Now, the privilege of being a vice chairman of the all party parliamentary Group on Artificial intelligence. And let's face it, my Lords, AI is changing every aspect of modern life. Although I'm a firm believer that everyone in this chamber has AI, it's called actual intelligence. But there's no doubt AI is changing everything.
And I've had the privilege of speaking about AI in various parts of the world in more recently, America. But there's still a need for more women in science, technology and engineering. I see this as a former Chancellor of Bournemouth University and having hosted a number of AI seminars in relation to private and public sector companies, whilst women are 50% of the UK population, women are only about 22% of the AI profession. So this is according to a number of reports, including research done last year by the Alan Turing Institute called Women in Data Science and AI.
So my next question for the Minister is what plans does the government have to further improve gender diversity in the AI profession? Now, a recent interim report found that NHS, maternity and neonatal services in England are failing. Too many women and families in England. It cited these reasons and they're quite shocking. Understaffing, racism, bullying, lack of compassion, lack of transparency and reporting and outdated facilities. The government is due to consider its final recommendation in June. So will the government commit to a statutory public inquiry into this serious healthcare issue, which can compel witnesses to give evidence? Lastly, we mustn't forget that women making a contribution to the world is not new.
There were prominent women business leaders in the Bible over 2000 years ago. For example, in the book of acts, Lydia ran a fashion company. Priscilla ran an Up-market residence franchise and queen. She governed her nation's economy. There's also Deborah in the Book of Judges, who was the nation's chief lawyer in the context of the current Middle East conflict. Let us remember, Esther, the 17th book in the Bible. Queen Esther's skill and bravery saved the Jewish people from destruction. Maybe if there were more women around the table for peace talks, we'd have less wars.
Those biblical heroines and women of today show that women are not. That women are a real voice, not just an echo.
He meant Lord's Cricket ground. There are numerous women of colour who have overcome the obstacles of racism and issues connected to gender. They include Mary Seacole, the Crimean War nurse, and the black suffragette Sarah Parker Raymond. More recently, when I was at the BBC, I had the privilege to interview Dame Kelly Holmes, who overcame a challenging upbringing and rose through the ranks in the Army and won two Olympic gold medals. Another interview was with the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-wilkin, who came to England from Jamaica as a child and as noble Lords know, she was a chaplain to the late Queen and to the House of Commons.
I mentioned these people because if you can't see it, you can't be it. And I grew up in the 60s and 70s in Birmingham, when I didn't see black people in prominent positions. So you do need to see these people to inspire you. Although 20% of UK small and medium sized companies are run by women, there is still too much unused business talent among women, especially Bame women. Most corporate boards are still mainly male and white. So my question to the Minister is what further plans do the government have to encourage an increase in female company directors? There are other ongoing issues, such as the earnings gap between men and women.
When I was a district councillor in the Midlands in the 1980s, I remember a lady complaining to me that her take home pay was so low that it wouldn't even take her home. I'm not sure that much has changed since then for women in low paid jobs for all workers, the median hourly gender pay gap is at 12.8%. In the developing world, it is widely recognised that empowering women is an important step to driving economic growth. So my next question for the Minister is what further plans do the government have to help to reduce the gender pay gap? Now, according to this year's Pricewaterhousecooper Women in Work Index, the UK ranks number 17 out of 33 OECD countries for female economic empowerment, with the sixth richest economy in the world.
So surely we can do better than that. So my third question to the Minister is what further plans does the government have to address the fact that the UK ranks so low in female economic empowerment? Now, the privilege of being a vice chairman of the all party parliamentary Group on Artificial intelligence. And let's face it, my Lords, AI is changing every aspect of modern life. Although I'm a firm believer that everyone in this chamber has AI, it's called actual intelligence. But there's no doubt AI is changing everything.
And I've had the privilege of speaking about AI in various parts of the world in more recently, America. But there's still a need for more women in science, technology and engineering. I see this as a former Chancellor of Bournemouth University and having hosted a number of AI seminars in relation to private and public sector companies, whilst women are 50% of the UK population, women are only about 22% of the AI profession. So this is according to a number of reports, including research done last year by the Alan Turing Institute called Women in Data Science and AI.
So my next question for the Minister is what plans does the government have to further improve gender diversity in the AI profession? Now, a recent interim report found that NHS, maternity and neonatal services in England are failing. Too many women and families in England. It cited these reasons and they're quite shocking. Understaffing, racism, bullying, lack of compassion, lack of transparency and reporting and outdated facilities. The government is due to consider its final recommendation in June. So will the government commit to a statutory public inquiry into this serious healthcare issue, which can compel witnesses to give evidence? Lastly, we mustn't forget that women making a contribution to the world is not new.
There were prominent women business leaders in the Bible over 2000 years ago. For example, in the book of acts, Lydia ran a fashion company. Priscilla ran an Up-market residence franchise and queen. She governed her nation's economy. There's also Deborah in the Book of Judges, who was the nation's chief lawyer in the context of the current Middle East conflict. Let us remember, Esther, the 17th book in the Bible. Queen Esther's skill and bravery saved the Jewish people from destruction. Maybe if there were more women around the table for peace talks, we'd have less wars.
Those biblical heroines and women of today show that women are not. That women are a real voice, not just an echo.
13:42
Lord Griffiths of Burry Port (Labour)
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Lord Griffiths of Burry Port (Labour)
Well. >> My Lords, I attend this debate regularly, but don't always or even often put my name down to speak. I often put my name down to speak. I feel that what I need to do in attending the debates is to listen hard to what's being said, and to gather some kind of range, a spectrum of ideas and issues of things to, to, to be happy about and things to concern us. As the debate unfolds. I have put my name down this time, and I just want, before moving on to another part of my speech.
I just hope that the house has heard the stabbing, persistent and passionate questions of Lord Bates. Our Parliament should be ashamed of itself and how it has handled the question of overseas aid over recent time. All parties. It is scandalous having worked overseas, having known that it is women who are at the heart of most of the aid that goes from this country. We simply can't allow ourselves to indulge ourselves in the normal range of concerns and congratulations, and the rest of it, I I'm going to be in August standing in a graveyard in Burry Port, where I come from, by the grave of my mother.
It'll be the 50th anniversary of her death. And if I've been shaped by anybody, it's been by her. When she married young, the marriage didn't work out. There was a bitter and acrimonious debate. My father, who could afford a lawyer, my mother didn't, was named. My mother was named as the guilty person and evicted from the family home. And she went with two boys into homelessness and misery. I remember my mother's screams, but I remember even more pertinently, her sobbing at the violence that she received from my father as he departed from the marriage.
It was an extraordinary series of events culminated after the enactment of the law that gave us national assistance by an application on my mother's behalf, for some benefit from it. She had had a bad injury in the factory where she worked, carrying heavy sheets of steel from one part of the process to another. She couldn't work. I'll never forget the man with a briefcase who came. Petty officials get up my nostril. They officiate. She was being accused of being a malingerer.
She was told she had no right to take money from the state and the rest of it. I was ten, my brother was nine. We looked each other in the eye. We lived in one room in a brickyard. We looked in one one another in the eye, turned on him, beat him up and kicked him and threw him out. We feared that that would mean we'd have no entitlement to the benefit. Mercifully, the powers that be saw that the man who treated us in that way was himself to be reprimanded.
My mother, who suffered abuse, eviction, homelessness, poverty, misery, pain, injury at work, rue. Above all of that, she had a translucent personality. She was generous. She never complained. She never pointed the finger at anybody. She was not judgemental. She didn't go to church because she thought that was judgemental. She smoked. She backed a horse sixpence each way, but only the big races. She used to tell us she did a bingo. She loved it. I used to go and post the football coupons for her to Vernon as it was, and of course she was divorced, which was a stigma in those days.
None of that dragged her down. She said, by the way, I'm not going to go to the chapel and give those preachers too much to preach about. And quite right she was, because I heard a number of those kinds of sermons in my time. I would like the noble Baroness Baroness Bloomfield to add Alwyn Thomas to the list of great Welsh women that she gave us earlier. And to remind myself, as I ask for that of the wonderful verse by Thomas Grey, his elegy in a Country Churchyard, that full, full, many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its fragrance on a desert air.
My mother was gigantic. I've learned generosity not to have a chip on my shoulder, to enjoy life largely because she shaped me, gave me my platform and all the rest of it. And let me say one last word others have been indulged. I claim the same indulgent one last word. I passed my 11 plus without knowing that I'd sat it, and when I went to the grammar school, still wearing no underwear or pyjamas or anything like that, we were desperately poor.
I walked through the door of the grammar school as a poor boy from the lowest level of British society, and as I said to some head teachers just two days ago, they must not only think about their concerns and strategies and philosophies and the rest of it. I know when I'm coming and I'll be longer. If you look at me like that, I simply want to say that that the head teachers need to recognise that the schoolchildren coming through the door to their classrooms may have come from the sort of background I came from, and the people who debate the grand themes of this kind in this chamber should always remember the lowest of the low were the ones in most
**** Possible New Speaker ****
need of benefit. And if women mean anything, they'll focus on that. Yes.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yes. My Lords, I wholeheartedly welcome this.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
welcome this. Debate today and thank Baroness Lloyd for her excellent introduction. I declare my interest introduction. I declare my interest as the co-chair of the APPG on women, Peace and Security the Preventing Sexual Violence in
I just hope that the house has heard the stabbing, persistent and passionate questions of Lord Bates. Our Parliament should be ashamed of itself and how it has handled the question of overseas aid over recent time. All parties. It is scandalous having worked overseas, having known that it is women who are at the heart of most of the aid that goes from this country. We simply can't allow ourselves to indulge ourselves in the normal range of concerns and congratulations, and the rest of it, I I'm going to be in August standing in a graveyard in Burry Port, where I come from, by the grave of my mother.
It'll be the 50th anniversary of her death. And if I've been shaped by anybody, it's been by her. When she married young, the marriage didn't work out. There was a bitter and acrimonious debate. My father, who could afford a lawyer, my mother didn't, was named. My mother was named as the guilty person and evicted from the family home. And she went with two boys into homelessness and misery. I remember my mother's screams, but I remember even more pertinently, her sobbing at the violence that she received from my father as he departed from the marriage.
It was an extraordinary series of events culminated after the enactment of the law that gave us national assistance by an application on my mother's behalf, for some benefit from it. She had had a bad injury in the factory where she worked, carrying heavy sheets of steel from one part of the process to another. She couldn't work. I'll never forget the man with a briefcase who came. Petty officials get up my nostril. They officiate. She was being accused of being a malingerer.
She was told she had no right to take money from the state and the rest of it. I was ten, my brother was nine. We looked each other in the eye. We lived in one room in a brickyard. We looked in one one another in the eye, turned on him, beat him up and kicked him and threw him out. We feared that that would mean we'd have no entitlement to the benefit. Mercifully, the powers that be saw that the man who treated us in that way was himself to be reprimanded.
My mother, who suffered abuse, eviction, homelessness, poverty, misery, pain, injury at work, rue. Above all of that, she had a translucent personality. She was generous. She never complained. She never pointed the finger at anybody. She was not judgemental. She didn't go to church because she thought that was judgemental. She smoked. She backed a horse sixpence each way, but only the big races. She used to tell us she did a bingo. She loved it. I used to go and post the football coupons for her to Vernon as it was, and of course she was divorced, which was a stigma in those days.
None of that dragged her down. She said, by the way, I'm not going to go to the chapel and give those preachers too much to preach about. And quite right she was, because I heard a number of those kinds of sermons in my time. I would like the noble Baroness Baroness Bloomfield to add Alwyn Thomas to the list of great Welsh women that she gave us earlier. And to remind myself, as I ask for that of the wonderful verse by Thomas Grey, his elegy in a Country Churchyard, that full, full, many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its fragrance on a desert air.
My mother was gigantic. I've learned generosity not to have a chip on my shoulder, to enjoy life largely because she shaped me, gave me my platform and all the rest of it. And let me say one last word others have been indulged. I claim the same indulgent one last word. I passed my 11 plus without knowing that I'd sat it, and when I went to the grammar school, still wearing no underwear or pyjamas or anything like that, we were desperately poor.
I walked through the door of the grammar school as a poor boy from the lowest level of British society, and as I said to some head teachers just two days ago, they must not only think about their concerns and strategies and philosophies and the rest of it. I know when I'm coming and I'll be longer. If you look at me like that, I simply want to say that that the head teachers need to recognise that the schoolchildren coming through the door to their classrooms may have come from the sort of background I came from, and the people who debate the grand themes of this kind in this chamber should always remember the lowest of the low were the ones in most
**** Possible New Speaker ****
need of benefit. And if women mean anything, they'll focus on that. Yes.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yes. My Lords, I wholeheartedly welcome this.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
welcome this. Debate today and thank Baroness Lloyd for her excellent introduction. I declare my interest introduction. I declare my interest as the co-chair of the APPG on women, Peace and Security the Preventing Sexual Violence in
13:49
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative)
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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative)
Conflict and Post-Conflict initiative. Steering board member and founding chair of the Afghan Women's Support Forum. I would also like to congratulate all those who have made such excellent maiden speeches today, and it's an honour to follow the remarkable and moving speech of Lord Griffiths, and I would like to thank all the men that have come here on a Friday to support us women. In the UN's International Women's Day theme. This year, as we've already heard, is rights, justice, action for all women and girls.
But sadly, we have to acknowledge the rolling back of hard won rights for women across the world today, a situation that I'm afraid is exacerbated by this government's approach to international development. Because not only is aid being slashed, there is an abandonment of of funding for education for women and girls, and the pivot to working with African leaders, nearly all men with a poor track record on female issues, be it FGM or child marriage, who wish to now be seen as partners.
This means that many of the grassroots projects that have helped empower women will be abandoned, and this is at a time when the US has abandoned the world's poorest. The UK should be stepping up, and it has proven that small amounts of money on the ground can be transformative. Time shorts I'd like to focus on the plight of women in conflict countries, which is worse than ever. This last weekend's events have been truly shocking, and for sure women will be disproportionately affected.
I cannot overlook the school that was bombed and can only imagine the agony of the mothers of all those children killed in Iran in 2000, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 recognised the disproportionate effect of conflict on women and girls. It was Major General Kamat who said it is now more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier. In modern wars. The Red cross reports over 130 active conflicts in the world today, more than double the number 15 years ago, with civilians bearing the brunt of attacks.
And how many of these conflicts were started by women? I would hazard a guess. None. From Sudan to Syria, from Ukraine to Gaza, it will be women's organisations on the ground, struggling to help communities, an empirical evidence shows. Including women in peace processes makes peace more durable, legitimate and effective. Agreements with women's participation are 35% more likely to last 15 years. And yet, look at the situation today. With so many peace negotiations centred around the Middle East, these countries do not have women, any women leaders, and you never hear from a women spokesman about the situation there on Donald Trump's border peace.
None of the executive members are women. And of the 19 members at the Davos launch, only one woman. And after last weekend, do we really think that President Trump has credibility as a peacemaker? If we're serious about establishing peace in protecting the rights and seeking justice for women, we do need to have women involved. And sexual violence continues in every theatre of war. I can never forget hearing Doctor Mukwege telling us about that. 83,000 women in the DRC have been brutally raped, and that he and his team repaired women and girls at Panzi Hospital, with ages ranging from five into their 80s.
As my noble friend Lord Ahmad has talked about already, however, the UN have highlighted that sexual violence in conflict rose sharply in 2024, with impunity for perpetrators remaining the name remaining the norm. The Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative was inspiring. And can the Minister tell us why they have not appointed another special representative? Last year was the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, and at the event at the FCDO, the Foreign Secretary talked about her support for the agenda.
But where is the action and why will the government not accept the women, Peace and Security Bill? This would ensure that even if we have Ministers in the future who do not consider this agenda important, it will be embedded in the DNA of UK foreign policy. Before I end, I have to raise this. The issue of the situation in Afghanistan as much as the noble Baroness D'Souza and Baroness Goudie have already talked about. It really is the worst country in the world to be a woman, and the Taliban have implemented a systematic and comprehensive erasure of women's rights, with over 100 edicts severely curtailing the ability of women and girls to live, work and move freely in public.
And their most recent introduction, they recently introduced a new penal code permitting husbands to physically punish their wives and children, providing no bones are broken, of course, and we should not forget that many people there are starving. It's really a shame on the world that that this is happening in this day and age. My Lords, rights for women are rolling backwards around the world. We cannot wait to reverse this trend. For, as Gloria Steinem said, don't think about making women fit for the fit the world.
Think about making the world fit women.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. My Lord.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
What a. Magnificent number of wonderful maidens, a bevy of brilliant new Baroness Cass. I just brilliant new Baroness Cass. I just think it's absolutely fabulous. For my contribution today, I would like to raise how gender inequality exacerbates food insecurity around the world. And by doing so, I'd the world. And by doing so, I'd like to draw attention to my my entry in the Register of Interests. I co-chair an organisation called United Against Malnutrition and Hunger. Today, more than a billion adolescent girls and women globally suffer from undernutrition, and two
But sadly, we have to acknowledge the rolling back of hard won rights for women across the world today, a situation that I'm afraid is exacerbated by this government's approach to international development. Because not only is aid being slashed, there is an abandonment of of funding for education for women and girls, and the pivot to working with African leaders, nearly all men with a poor track record on female issues, be it FGM or child marriage, who wish to now be seen as partners.
This means that many of the grassroots projects that have helped empower women will be abandoned, and this is at a time when the US has abandoned the world's poorest. The UK should be stepping up, and it has proven that small amounts of money on the ground can be transformative. Time shorts I'd like to focus on the plight of women in conflict countries, which is worse than ever. This last weekend's events have been truly shocking, and for sure women will be disproportionately affected.
I cannot overlook the school that was bombed and can only imagine the agony of the mothers of all those children killed in Iran in 2000, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 recognised the disproportionate effect of conflict on women and girls. It was Major General Kamat who said it is now more dangerous to be a woman than to be a soldier. In modern wars. The Red cross reports over 130 active conflicts in the world today, more than double the number 15 years ago, with civilians bearing the brunt of attacks.
And how many of these conflicts were started by women? I would hazard a guess. None. From Sudan to Syria, from Ukraine to Gaza, it will be women's organisations on the ground, struggling to help communities, an empirical evidence shows. Including women in peace processes makes peace more durable, legitimate and effective. Agreements with women's participation are 35% more likely to last 15 years. And yet, look at the situation today. With so many peace negotiations centred around the Middle East, these countries do not have women, any women leaders, and you never hear from a women spokesman about the situation there on Donald Trump's border peace.
None of the executive members are women. And of the 19 members at the Davos launch, only one woman. And after last weekend, do we really think that President Trump has credibility as a peacemaker? If we're serious about establishing peace in protecting the rights and seeking justice for women, we do need to have women involved. And sexual violence continues in every theatre of war. I can never forget hearing Doctor Mukwege telling us about that. 83,000 women in the DRC have been brutally raped, and that he and his team repaired women and girls at Panzi Hospital, with ages ranging from five into their 80s.
As my noble friend Lord Ahmad has talked about already, however, the UN have highlighted that sexual violence in conflict rose sharply in 2024, with impunity for perpetrators remaining the name remaining the norm. The Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative was inspiring. And can the Minister tell us why they have not appointed another special representative? Last year was the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, and at the event at the FCDO, the Foreign Secretary talked about her support for the agenda.
But where is the action and why will the government not accept the women, Peace and Security Bill? This would ensure that even if we have Ministers in the future who do not consider this agenda important, it will be embedded in the DNA of UK foreign policy. Before I end, I have to raise this. The issue of the situation in Afghanistan as much as the noble Baroness D'Souza and Baroness Goudie have already talked about. It really is the worst country in the world to be a woman, and the Taliban have implemented a systematic and comprehensive erasure of women's rights, with over 100 edicts severely curtailing the ability of women and girls to live, work and move freely in public.
And their most recent introduction, they recently introduced a new penal code permitting husbands to physically punish their wives and children, providing no bones are broken, of course, and we should not forget that many people there are starving. It's really a shame on the world that that this is happening in this day and age. My Lords, rights for women are rolling backwards around the world. We cannot wait to reverse this trend. For, as Gloria Steinem said, don't think about making women fit for the fit the world.
Think about making the world fit women.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. My Lord.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
What a. Magnificent number of wonderful maidens, a bevy of brilliant new Baroness Cass. I just brilliant new Baroness Cass. I just think it's absolutely fabulous. For my contribution today, I would like to raise how gender inequality exacerbates food insecurity around the world. And by doing so, I'd the world. And by doing so, I'd like to draw attention to my my entry in the Register of Interests. I co-chair an organisation called United Against Malnutrition and Hunger. Today, more than a billion adolescent girls and women globally suffer from undernutrition, and two
13:55
Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour)
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Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour)
out of three women lack essential vitamins and minerals. Lack of access to nutritious foods access to nutritious foods particularly impacts pregnant and breastfeeding women, maternal undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and anaemia increases the risk of stillbirth, newborn the risk of stillbirth, newborn deaths, and post and pre-term delivery, as well as impairing foetal development, with lifelong consequences for that child's health in households. Despite having higher nutritional needs than men, women often eat last least and worst, and when food is scarce due to conflict or climate, women and girls are often trapped in forced marriages or sexual exploitation to provide food for their families.
In Somalia, the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity will increase to 6.5 million by the end of this month. This year, 1.8 million children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition. When I read that this week, I remembered the story of Zahra, a Somalian. Her parents struggled to feed her and her siblings and Zahra had to drop out of school if not for an intervention by a charity allowing her to provide food for her family, she could have been forced to marry an adult man to relieve her and her family's food burden.
This would attract her in a cycle of powerlessness, forced into unwanted pregnancies and the dangers of giving birth as a child. Others in the same village weren't so lucky. Girls trapped in lifelong servitude, subject to physical or sexual abuse, with no hope of escape or freedom. That's the cost of food insecurity on women and girls. The hunger crisis in Sudan existed long before the current crisis, but hunger has escalated with renewed hostilities. Hunger has disproportionately impacted women and girls, with 73% of women in Sudan unable to access enough food to stay healthy in Haiti, escalating gang violence and economic recessions has driven over half the population to high levels of food insecurity.
Women and girls suffering disproportionately, facing greater obstacles to food, restricted access to health services, and high levels of violence, including sexual violence. Afghanistan has been spoken of many times in this chamber. Today, rightly, there was a nearly 30% increase in hospitalisations for malnutrition amongst pregnant and breastfeeding women last year, and I fear that will be an absolute underrepresentation of the situation in Yemen. 1.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women were malnourished last year, and in the DRC, conflict continues to drive tens of thousands of people from their home.
And by June, 1.5 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will be malnourished and in need of nutritional aid. I sadly could go on if we are to break this cycle, it is absolutely essential that we never lose sight of women and girls when delivering nutrition interventions and never lose sight of nutrition in interventions. When we say that we are delivering for women and girls, my right hon. Friend the Minister for International Development has made it clear that we will work to
**** Possible New Speaker ****
advance gender equality Action. So it's critical, therefore,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
So it's critical, therefore, that this includes a commitment to protecting nutrition funding with a reduced international aid budget, reduced international aid budget, particularly for maternal health, and for the first 1000 days of life through nutrition specific interventions such as antenatal, interventions such as antenatal, multiple micronutrient supplementation, which is proven and cost effective. Evidence shows that multiple micronutrient supplementation can prevent mothers from passing malnutrition to their babies by reducing infant death by 29%. A renewed commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund would be a really impactful way of focusing.
Funding. The Child Nutrition Fund can also leverage significant additional funding through match funding initiatives by global philanthropies, maximizing investment and the impact of every penny we spend at a time of fiscal constraint. A focus on nutrition would keep women and girls safer from appalling economic choices, ensure maternal and child health is prioritised, and give a real future to those blighted by the scourge of hunger and malnutrition that goes way beyond the presenting malady.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. My Lords, it's a great honour to follow Baroness Brown and to rise follow Baroness Brown and to rise to take part in this international women's debate, especially on this women's debate, especially on this special day when so many of our newly ennobled women made their newly ennobled women made their brilliant maiden speeches. We've heard of their remarkable
In Somalia, the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity will increase to 6.5 million by the end of this month. This year, 1.8 million children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition. When I read that this week, I remembered the story of Zahra, a Somalian. Her parents struggled to feed her and her siblings and Zahra had to drop out of school if not for an intervention by a charity allowing her to provide food for her family, she could have been forced to marry an adult man to relieve her and her family's food burden.
This would attract her in a cycle of powerlessness, forced into unwanted pregnancies and the dangers of giving birth as a child. Others in the same village weren't so lucky. Girls trapped in lifelong servitude, subject to physical or sexual abuse, with no hope of escape or freedom. That's the cost of food insecurity on women and girls. The hunger crisis in Sudan existed long before the current crisis, but hunger has escalated with renewed hostilities. Hunger has disproportionately impacted women and girls, with 73% of women in Sudan unable to access enough food to stay healthy in Haiti, escalating gang violence and economic recessions has driven over half the population to high levels of food insecurity.
Women and girls suffering disproportionately, facing greater obstacles to food, restricted access to health services, and high levels of violence, including sexual violence. Afghanistan has been spoken of many times in this chamber. Today, rightly, there was a nearly 30% increase in hospitalisations for malnutrition amongst pregnant and breastfeeding women last year, and I fear that will be an absolute underrepresentation of the situation in Yemen. 1.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women were malnourished last year, and in the DRC, conflict continues to drive tens of thousands of people from their home.
And by June, 1.5 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will be malnourished and in need of nutritional aid. I sadly could go on if we are to break this cycle, it is absolutely essential that we never lose sight of women and girls when delivering nutrition interventions and never lose sight of nutrition in interventions. When we say that we are delivering for women and girls, my right hon. Friend the Minister for International Development has made it clear that we will work to
**** Possible New Speaker ****
advance gender equality Action. So it's critical, therefore,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
So it's critical, therefore, that this includes a commitment to protecting nutrition funding with a reduced international aid budget, reduced international aid budget, particularly for maternal health, and for the first 1000 days of life through nutrition specific interventions such as antenatal, interventions such as antenatal, multiple micronutrient supplementation, which is proven and cost effective. Evidence shows that multiple micronutrient supplementation can prevent mothers from passing malnutrition to their babies by reducing infant death by 29%. A renewed commitment to the Child Nutrition Fund would be a really impactful way of focusing.
Funding. The Child Nutrition Fund can also leverage significant additional funding through match funding initiatives by global philanthropies, maximizing investment and the impact of every penny we spend at a time of fiscal constraint. A focus on nutrition would keep women and girls safer from appalling economic choices, ensure maternal and child health is prioritised, and give a real future to those blighted by the scourge of hunger and malnutrition that goes way beyond the presenting malady.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. My Lords, it's a great honour to follow Baroness Brown and to rise follow Baroness Brown and to rise to take part in this international women's debate, especially on this women's debate, especially on this special day when so many of our newly ennobled women made their newly ennobled women made their brilliant maiden speeches. We've heard of their remarkable
14:01
Baroness Gill (Labour)
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Baroness Gill (Labour)
achievements, their inspiring additions to your Lordships House. Today's debate marks a milestone for Sikh women across all areas of British life. There's much to celebrate. Since I was first elected in 1999, more notably are the first five Sikh heritage female MPs elected in 2024. In the other place, and I was honoured to recently join these benches too. We now have Sikh Labour women across both the houses in other fields too. Women of Sikh heritage are in every field of life, from leading kings, councils, judges, professionals, academics, creatives to achievers of amazing feats such as walking the Antarctica bi polar Preet.
We have much to be proud of. Nevertheless, there are many concerns in our society for Sikh women to a recent report by Sikh Women's Aid highlighted that two thirds of the respondents experienced domestic abuse, though little differently in the extended family context. The perpetrators can also be other women. More worryingly, we've had several incidents of racially motivated rape targeted at Sikh women that has heightened insecurity amongst the community. This development needs urgent action by local law officers in addressing these challenges.
This House has regularly raised concerns about online misogyny and in this debate, many of the Lordships have made a reference to it, recognising that women who stand up or speak out are more likely to suffer from extreme levels of abuse and threats of violence. As we progress toward an accelerated speed towards artificial intelligence becoming part of our everyday lives, I fear how this will affect ordinary women's lives. Whether it is automated human resources or assessments about opening a bank accounts.
It is likely that an algorithm will be deciding. Why should we all be concerned? Because vast majority of those writing the codes, the algorithms are likely to be men. My Lords, I have had an opportunity to work in the tech sector, albeit a decade or so ago. I was staggered, and we've already heard earlier how few women work in the sector that I came across, not just in the UK, but worldwide. Of course, there are always high flying household names in the US, but they are the exception as opposed to the rule.
Most of the women in senior jobs that I came across were in the generic theory generic area, such as HR, communications or public policy. Like me, if I may beg your indulgence and share some statistics. The British Computing Society, the Chartered Institute of IT from its Gender Diversity in the Tech Sector report last December, they noted that only 441,000 female IT specialists in the UK, only 22% of all IT specialists in the UK. If we had equality amongst the sexes, there would have been at least 100,000.
Women, earn 12% less than their male counterparts and are more likely to be part time. But a shocking statistic for me was only 0.6%. In this growing sector are black women. The women who are in this sector are more likely to be unemployed and less likely to be self-employed, and only 1 in 20 is an IT engineer. The figures are a little better if you are in project or programme manager, however, not in all cases. In manufacturing, there's only 11% women employed in this sector.
But what really disappoints me is that the representation of women in this senior executive roles hasn't changed since I was there. It is truly a shameful record and one that does not inspire us with confidence in the projected AI dominated future. So I welcome the statement made by the Minister, Baroness Lloyd of Zafra, at the start of this debate, and I'm hugely encouraged by her emphasis on addressing concerns in the tech sector. But if I may emphasize that the one point that the government must address is greater participation of Bame women in Stem learning.
So whilst acknowledging the challenges around women and girls safety and opportunities, I think it's vitally important that we recognise today the success and value all women and girls across the country bring to British society.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My Lords. And my fellow Baronesses, I'd like to add my sincere like to add my sincere congratulations and a very warm welcome to the Baroness, who have all made such wonderful and all made such wonderful and inspiring maiden speeches today. And I'd also like to thank the noble Baroness, the Minister, for noble Baroness, the Minister, for holding this debate, and obviously for the House for continuing to mark International Women's Day mark International Women's Day every year. And as we have heard, there is still so much to be done, both here in the UK and around the world, to achieve even basic levels of safety and security, as well as opportunity for women and girls.
It is vital that we keep the spotlight on these issues. But of course, actions do speak much louder than words. And so I also want to applaud so many members of this House across all the benches for their hard work in so many areas. Collective efforts are absolutely critical because these issues are far too numerous to be solved by any single person or initiative. And whether we refer to give to gain or rights, justice, action,
We have much to be proud of. Nevertheless, there are many concerns in our society for Sikh women to a recent report by Sikh Women's Aid highlighted that two thirds of the respondents experienced domestic abuse, though little differently in the extended family context. The perpetrators can also be other women. More worryingly, we've had several incidents of racially motivated rape targeted at Sikh women that has heightened insecurity amongst the community. This development needs urgent action by local law officers in addressing these challenges.
This House has regularly raised concerns about online misogyny and in this debate, many of the Lordships have made a reference to it, recognising that women who stand up or speak out are more likely to suffer from extreme levels of abuse and threats of violence. As we progress toward an accelerated speed towards artificial intelligence becoming part of our everyday lives, I fear how this will affect ordinary women's lives. Whether it is automated human resources or assessments about opening a bank accounts.
It is likely that an algorithm will be deciding. Why should we all be concerned? Because vast majority of those writing the codes, the algorithms are likely to be men. My Lords, I have had an opportunity to work in the tech sector, albeit a decade or so ago. I was staggered, and we've already heard earlier how few women work in the sector that I came across, not just in the UK, but worldwide. Of course, there are always high flying household names in the US, but they are the exception as opposed to the rule.
Most of the women in senior jobs that I came across were in the generic theory generic area, such as HR, communications or public policy. Like me, if I may beg your indulgence and share some statistics. The British Computing Society, the Chartered Institute of IT from its Gender Diversity in the Tech Sector report last December, they noted that only 441,000 female IT specialists in the UK, only 22% of all IT specialists in the UK. If we had equality amongst the sexes, there would have been at least 100,000.
Women, earn 12% less than their male counterparts and are more likely to be part time. But a shocking statistic for me was only 0.6%. In this growing sector are black women. The women who are in this sector are more likely to be unemployed and less likely to be self-employed, and only 1 in 20 is an IT engineer. The figures are a little better if you are in project or programme manager, however, not in all cases. In manufacturing, there's only 11% women employed in this sector.
But what really disappoints me is that the representation of women in this senior executive roles hasn't changed since I was there. It is truly a shameful record and one that does not inspire us with confidence in the projected AI dominated future. So I welcome the statement made by the Minister, Baroness Lloyd of Zafra, at the start of this debate, and I'm hugely encouraged by her emphasis on addressing concerns in the tech sector. But if I may emphasize that the one point that the government must address is greater participation of Bame women in Stem learning.
So whilst acknowledging the challenges around women and girls safety and opportunities, I think it's vitally important that we recognise today the success and value all women and girls across the country bring to British society.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
My Lords. And my fellow Baronesses, I'd like to add my sincere like to add my sincere congratulations and a very warm welcome to the Baroness, who have all made such wonderful and all made such wonderful and inspiring maiden speeches today. And I'd also like to thank the noble Baroness, the Minister, for noble Baroness, the Minister, for holding this debate, and obviously for the House for continuing to mark International Women's Day mark International Women's Day every year. And as we have heard, there is still so much to be done, both here in the UK and around the world, to achieve even basic levels of safety and security, as well as opportunity for women and girls.
It is vital that we keep the spotlight on these issues. But of course, actions do speak much louder than words. And so I also want to applaud so many members of this House across all the benches for their hard work in so many areas. Collective efforts are absolutely critical because these issues are far too numerous to be solved by any single person or initiative. And whether we refer to give to gain or rights, justice, action,
14:07
Baroness Morrissey (Conservative)
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Baroness Morrissey (Conservative)
those themes are both clearly renewed calls to action for all of renewed calls to action for all of us. My own efforts currently focus on encouraging girls to be more on encouraging girls to be more ambitious, and on helping women to fulfil their career potential, and I'm afraid on the latter in particular, we seem to be often taking one step forward only to then take one or even two steps then take one or even two steps back. And I know that puzzles very many people, because obviously we know that women are, on average, more highly qualified than men.
Apologies, not necessarily the men today. And companies run plenty of special programmes to help women progress. And yet the results speak for themselves. We are going backwards in Britain, certainly in terms of female CEOs, as Baroness Martin of Brockley told us in her maiden speech, just eight out of the FTSE now are women, down from a not too high peak of ten two years ago. Progress is achingly slow in the broader index and on executive committees as well. Now, often people describe the problem as around childcare costs and societal attitudes, but I don't think that explains it completely.
Sweden has had equal parental policies for 50 years, for example, but still just 14% female CEOs. That's the highest of all Western nations, but obviously still an awful long way from parity. Now, I appreciate that this might not seem to be the most important issue affecting women today, but a key root cause has, I believe, much in common with the tragedies and travesties, like Sarah Everard's murder five years ago and the growing and the grooming gangs, which really should be called rape gangs.
That root cause, I believe, is a pervasive tendency for many people to turn a blind eye to bad behaviours against women. So there's little point in having wonderful corporate programmes to develop women's careers. If at the same time there is a culture of hear no evil, see no evil, say no evil. As Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey put it about the Epstein scandal, the very fundamental question for all of us is how is it that we live in a society in which this happens? And the cover up happened as well? I want to look specifically at what was said at the time of the appointment of Jess Staley as Barclays CEO in 2015, the Daily Mail first ran a story about Staley's links to Epstein on the 26th of October 2015, alleging that Epstein had backed him for Barclays CEO job three years previously.
Barclays announced Staley's appointment just two days after the mail ran its story, with the then chairman describing Staley as a man of enormous integrity, even though he said he only knew him through the recruitment process four years later, even as the regulators were raising more questions about Celia's relationship with the convicted sex offender, and after they had fined him over £640,000 for trying to uncover the identity of a whistleblower, a second new chairman of Barclays did not judge that the Epstein matter warranted a full board discussion in 20.
In February 2020, by which point a regulatory investigation was fully underway, Barclays was still insisting that Staley had the board's full confidence now. Staley eventually resigned in November 2021 after regulators concluded he had mischaracterised his relationship with Epstein. And as you all know, it is now subject finally to a lifetime ban from UK financial services. But there have been far too many serious misconduct scandals in recent years involving financiers, business leaders and politicians whose behaviours were hidden in plain sight, with people not asking the right or perhaps even any questions.
It's hardly surprising that the behaviours persisted, and it should certainly come as no surprise that there are so few women who are willing to stay and battle their way to the top, where they might be able to improve things. Sexism in the city and beyond will never end, as long as people turn a blind eye to sexual harassment. But I am more optimistic now that the tide could start to change with the powerful combination of new regulations around non-financial misconduct and the restrictions on companies use of non-disclosure agreements to cover up bad behaviors, as set out in the Employment Rights Act.
And there may be a silver lining from Epstein's very dark cloud, and how it has enveloped so many who were previously regarded for so long as the great and the good that is, that everybody knew and chose to turn a blind eye, really does become a thing of the past. And on International Women's Day, that surely would be something to
**** Possible New Speaker ****
celebrate it. To start, congratulations to my noble friends, my sisters on these noble friends, my sisters on these benches for their stellar maiden speeches, and I declare an interest. I am the executive member for I am the executive member for Health and Social Care at Islington Council. My Lords and ladies, like other sisters in your Lordships other sisters in your Lordships House, I have a range of appalling personal experiences and those of my family and friends that I could my family and friends that I could draw on to make illustrative points in these debates.
Instead, today I'm lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness. I want to celebrate some extraordinary women and their work to end male violence against women and girls. We need to share these stories of hope, sisterhood, and solidarity to nourish us all as we persist in the costly fight to eliminate violence in all its forms against all women. I want to tell your Lordships House about the incredible work of Catherine Bridie and Karolina Baba at Islington Council, who, funded by their fabulous Labour Council, refer you to my refer your Lordships to my earlier declaration.
They have overseen the development of a multi-agency daily safeguarding meeting, replacing the monthly marac that has enabled them to support 728 survivors in the last year. Over four years of operation, they have reduced their repeat referrals to 18%, increased engagement with survivors from 18 to 88%, and enabled a sevenfold increase in civil and legal protection orders. Because it is daily, Catherine and Caroline are also able to check that those proposed actions are actually completed and to track their outcomes so they know that their life, that their work sorry, is life changing.
Catherine and Caroline have also pioneered work in Islington with She Is Not Your Rehab, in particular, working with young men to prevent the occurrence and reoccurrence of violence against women. Their model with men acknowledges your childhood trauma wasn't your fault, but your healing is now your responsibility. It works through building relationships and accountability. When founder Matt Brown spoke to 300 boys at a school locally, 100 of these boys contacted him afterwards to share their stories and their pain. Boys need and want this invitation to talk and to be seen.
This emphasis on preventing perpetration in the borough is also bolstered by this Labour government's huge investment in perpetrator work, getting upstream and preventing new victims. The other trailblazer I want to celebrate today is Natalie Collins, survivor and founder of Own My Life, a programme that has enabled 20,000 women to recover and live their best lives following violence and abuse. Now, the first time I met Natalie, we were in a very austere boardroom at a pretty traditional Christian charity and she was monologuing loudly about Vagina's I like Natalie, I thought, beyond gregarious, joyful exterior.
I discovered Natalie as an ally, a
Apologies, not necessarily the men today. And companies run plenty of special programmes to help women progress. And yet the results speak for themselves. We are going backwards in Britain, certainly in terms of female CEOs, as Baroness Martin of Brockley told us in her maiden speech, just eight out of the FTSE now are women, down from a not too high peak of ten two years ago. Progress is achingly slow in the broader index and on executive committees as well. Now, often people describe the problem as around childcare costs and societal attitudes, but I don't think that explains it completely.
Sweden has had equal parental policies for 50 years, for example, but still just 14% female CEOs. That's the highest of all Western nations, but obviously still an awful long way from parity. Now, I appreciate that this might not seem to be the most important issue affecting women today, but a key root cause has, I believe, much in common with the tragedies and travesties, like Sarah Everard's murder five years ago and the growing and the grooming gangs, which really should be called rape gangs.
That root cause, I believe, is a pervasive tendency for many people to turn a blind eye to bad behaviours against women. So there's little point in having wonderful corporate programmes to develop women's careers. If at the same time there is a culture of hear no evil, see no evil, say no evil. As Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey put it about the Epstein scandal, the very fundamental question for all of us is how is it that we live in a society in which this happens? And the cover up happened as well? I want to look specifically at what was said at the time of the appointment of Jess Staley as Barclays CEO in 2015, the Daily Mail first ran a story about Staley's links to Epstein on the 26th of October 2015, alleging that Epstein had backed him for Barclays CEO job three years previously.
Barclays announced Staley's appointment just two days after the mail ran its story, with the then chairman describing Staley as a man of enormous integrity, even though he said he only knew him through the recruitment process four years later, even as the regulators were raising more questions about Celia's relationship with the convicted sex offender, and after they had fined him over £640,000 for trying to uncover the identity of a whistleblower, a second new chairman of Barclays did not judge that the Epstein matter warranted a full board discussion in 20.
In February 2020, by which point a regulatory investigation was fully underway, Barclays was still insisting that Staley had the board's full confidence now. Staley eventually resigned in November 2021 after regulators concluded he had mischaracterised his relationship with Epstein. And as you all know, it is now subject finally to a lifetime ban from UK financial services. But there have been far too many serious misconduct scandals in recent years involving financiers, business leaders and politicians whose behaviours were hidden in plain sight, with people not asking the right or perhaps even any questions.
It's hardly surprising that the behaviours persisted, and it should certainly come as no surprise that there are so few women who are willing to stay and battle their way to the top, where they might be able to improve things. Sexism in the city and beyond will never end, as long as people turn a blind eye to sexual harassment. But I am more optimistic now that the tide could start to change with the powerful combination of new regulations around non-financial misconduct and the restrictions on companies use of non-disclosure agreements to cover up bad behaviors, as set out in the Employment Rights Act.
And there may be a silver lining from Epstein's very dark cloud, and how it has enveloped so many who were previously regarded for so long as the great and the good that is, that everybody knew and chose to turn a blind eye, really does become a thing of the past. And on International Women's Day, that surely would be something to
**** Possible New Speaker ****
celebrate it. To start, congratulations to my noble friends, my sisters on these noble friends, my sisters on these benches for their stellar maiden speeches, and I declare an interest. I am the executive member for I am the executive member for Health and Social Care at Islington Council. My Lords and ladies, like other sisters in your Lordships other sisters in your Lordships House, I have a range of appalling personal experiences and those of my family and friends that I could my family and friends that I could draw on to make illustrative points in these debates.
Instead, today I'm lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness. I want to celebrate some extraordinary women and their work to end male violence against women and girls. We need to share these stories of hope, sisterhood, and solidarity to nourish us all as we persist in the costly fight to eliminate violence in all its forms against all women. I want to tell your Lordships House about the incredible work of Catherine Bridie and Karolina Baba at Islington Council, who, funded by their fabulous Labour Council, refer you to my refer your Lordships to my earlier declaration.
They have overseen the development of a multi-agency daily safeguarding meeting, replacing the monthly marac that has enabled them to support 728 survivors in the last year. Over four years of operation, they have reduced their repeat referrals to 18%, increased engagement with survivors from 18 to 88%, and enabled a sevenfold increase in civil and legal protection orders. Because it is daily, Catherine and Caroline are also able to check that those proposed actions are actually completed and to track their outcomes so they know that their life, that their work sorry, is life changing.
Catherine and Caroline have also pioneered work in Islington with She Is Not Your Rehab, in particular, working with young men to prevent the occurrence and reoccurrence of violence against women. Their model with men acknowledges your childhood trauma wasn't your fault, but your healing is now your responsibility. It works through building relationships and accountability. When founder Matt Brown spoke to 300 boys at a school locally, 100 of these boys contacted him afterwards to share their stories and their pain. Boys need and want this invitation to talk and to be seen.
This emphasis on preventing perpetration in the borough is also bolstered by this Labour government's huge investment in perpetrator work, getting upstream and preventing new victims. The other trailblazer I want to celebrate today is Natalie Collins, survivor and founder of Own My Life, a programme that has enabled 20,000 women to recover and live their best lives following violence and abuse. Now, the first time I met Natalie, we were in a very austere boardroom at a pretty traditional Christian charity and she was monologuing loudly about Vagina's I like Natalie, I thought, beyond gregarious, joyful exterior.
I discovered Natalie as an ally, a
14:15
Baroness Hyde of Bemerton (Labour)
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Baroness Hyde of Bemerton (Labour)
person with a huge heart and an utterly razor sharp mind who thinks constantly about how we can constantly about how we can structurally and strategically eliminate violence against women and girls. So I want to celebrate and girls. So I want to celebrate today the women courageously taking back ownership of their lives, supported by Own My Life practitioners. I want to celebrate practitioners. I want to celebrate the female police officer in London abused by her partner, who not only stayed at the met after feeling she should resign, but she's now been promoted and is seeing CPS decisions changed so that more perpetrators are charged.
The woman in the southwest who was suicidal but is now living her best life. Natalie sent me some quotes from participants own. My life is effective and life changing in ways I can't think anything else would be. I have spent more than 30 years in a coercive relationship that I couldn't leave, despite multiple professionals advising me to do so. I've now done it in the space of 12 weeks. Another woman simply stated, this course gave my children their mum back, as well as her astonishing work through Own My Life, Natalie worked with other survivors of her rapist ex-husband's abuse to bring joint cases to ensure a successful prosecution for the repeated rapes and domestic abuse their story has recently been told in BBC documentary lover, liar, predator.
It's not an easy watch, but it's a recommended one. Humans are wounded in relationship and yet that too, is where we experience healing. Natalie, Jenny, Shannon and Robyn enabled the successful prosecution of that serial rapist because they did so together. She is not your Rehab's work is effective because of the relationships and group work that allow accountability and ownership, rather than engendering shame. This painful, profound work is always collaborative. So this International Women's Day, I want to celebrate these awesome sisters Kathryn, Karolina, and Natalie, and remind us that the path to eliminating violence is a path trod in solidarity, led by survivors and never a solo pursuit.
And as Shannon states powerfully at the end of that documentary, that's how
**** Possible New Speaker ****
we break his power over us by being together. Yeah.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. That's great. Noble Baronesses, right?
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Noble Baronesses, right? Reverend Palette and Lords, it is a privilege to take part in a debate that marks International Women's that marks International Women's Day and my youngest formidable granddaughter's birthday. And to granddaughter's birthday. And to listen to so many powerful speeches from the noble Baronesses, not just the maiden speeches, but which were all brilliant, but all the noble
The woman in the southwest who was suicidal but is now living her best life. Natalie sent me some quotes from participants own. My life is effective and life changing in ways I can't think anything else would be. I have spent more than 30 years in a coercive relationship that I couldn't leave, despite multiple professionals advising me to do so. I've now done it in the space of 12 weeks. Another woman simply stated, this course gave my children their mum back, as well as her astonishing work through Own My Life, Natalie worked with other survivors of her rapist ex-husband's abuse to bring joint cases to ensure a successful prosecution for the repeated rapes and domestic abuse their story has recently been told in BBC documentary lover, liar, predator.
It's not an easy watch, but it's a recommended one. Humans are wounded in relationship and yet that too, is where we experience healing. Natalie, Jenny, Shannon and Robyn enabled the successful prosecution of that serial rapist because they did so together. She is not your Rehab's work is effective because of the relationships and group work that allow accountability and ownership, rather than engendering shame. This painful, profound work is always collaborative. So this International Women's Day, I want to celebrate these awesome sisters Kathryn, Karolina, and Natalie, and remind us that the path to eliminating violence is a path trod in solidarity, led by survivors and never a solo pursuit.
And as Shannon states powerfully at the end of that documentary, that's how
**** Possible New Speaker ****
we break his power over us by being together. Yeah.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Yeah. That's great. Noble Baronesses, right?
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Noble Baronesses, right? Reverend Palette and Lords, it is a privilege to take part in a debate that marks International Women's that marks International Women's Day and my youngest formidable granddaughter's birthday. And to granddaughter's birthday. And to listen to so many powerful speeches from the noble Baronesses, not just the maiden speeches, but which were all brilliant, but all the noble
14:18
Lord Patel (Crossbench)
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Lord Patel (Crossbench)
Baroness speeches. I might have been expected to speak about the need to improve women's health in England, but Baroness Sugg is a better advocate than I could ever better advocate than I could ever be, so I will tear that bit of the speech and move on. On another year, International Women's Day debate, I spoke of Hela cells so called because they are cancer cells because they are cancer cells obtained without consent from a young black uneducated woman named Henrietta Lacks, who has suffered from an aggressive form of cervical cancer.
These cells are the first human immortal cells. And today, 70 years after death of Henrietta Lacks, they still survive as cultures in laboratories all over the world. Research using these cells has resulted in many treatments, including development of human papilloma virus vaccine for cervical cancer, the use of which will one day hopefully end women getting cervical cancer. Pharmaceutical companies have benefited hugely from treatments developed using Hela cells. Henrietta Lacks family remained poor. Today I speak briefly to celebrate achievements of brilliant women scientists in United Kingdom, who are the driving force behind finding cures for cancers, including cancers that affect women.
I would love to name them all, but time does not allow me, so I'll only mention few. Doctor Nguyen, who created an atomic level model of enzyme telomerase to better understand cancer cell immortality and drug development. Professor Fitzgerald developed methods for early and less invasive diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Professor Plummer, pioneer of Parp inhibitors, a class of drug cancer drugs now standard treatment for BRCA related cancers such as breast and ovarian cancers. Professor for developing liquid biopsies of biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of cancers that will lead to early diagnosis of many cancers.
Professor Bryant for drug development can kill cancer cells professor Thistlethwaite, who developed Car-T cell therapy. Immune cell therapy, a successful treatment for certain rare cancers. Professor Seligman's research to make chemotherapy safer. Professor Burrell, who carried out a million women study on cancer risk for women. Doctor Jamal Zanjani understanding of cancer cell survival in advanced cancer and finding treatments. Others, like Doctor Kitson, Professor Balkwill
**** Possible New Speaker ****
scientists. In the. World. Professor Pezzella working on cancers that affect women, primarily UK, has huge strength in life sciences research, strength in life sciences research, not just in cancer research, and is strongly driven by brilliant women strongly driven by brilliant women scientists. UK women scientists are ranked second only to USA, and many ranked second only to USA, and many featuring in the top 1% of highly cited academics. For the second time in the history of 2026, Blavatnik Awards were awarded to three young women scientists doctor McGowan, Doctor Rosler and Doctor Pinilla.
My Lords, with more girls now taking up Stem subjects, it bodes well for the future of UK science. 57% of PhD students in Cruk institutes are women. At the same time, only 29% reached group leader position at. That needs to change. My Lords have been privileged to be trusted by thousands of women during pregnancy to be able to look after them. Some of them were very anxious time during their pregnancy and if it if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here.
These cells are the first human immortal cells. And today, 70 years after death of Henrietta Lacks, they still survive as cultures in laboratories all over the world. Research using these cells has resulted in many treatments, including development of human papilloma virus vaccine for cervical cancer, the use of which will one day hopefully end women getting cervical cancer. Pharmaceutical companies have benefited hugely from treatments developed using Hela cells. Henrietta Lacks family remained poor. Today I speak briefly to celebrate achievements of brilliant women scientists in United Kingdom, who are the driving force behind finding cures for cancers, including cancers that affect women.
I would love to name them all, but time does not allow me, so I'll only mention few. Doctor Nguyen, who created an atomic level model of enzyme telomerase to better understand cancer cell immortality and drug development. Professor Fitzgerald developed methods for early and less invasive diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Professor Plummer, pioneer of Parp inhibitors, a class of drug cancer drugs now standard treatment for BRCA related cancers such as breast and ovarian cancers. Professor for developing liquid biopsies of biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of cancers that will lead to early diagnosis of many cancers.
Professor Bryant for drug development can kill cancer cells professor Thistlethwaite, who developed Car-T cell therapy. Immune cell therapy, a successful treatment for certain rare cancers. Professor Seligman's research to make chemotherapy safer. Professor Burrell, who carried out a million women study on cancer risk for women. Doctor Jamal Zanjani understanding of cancer cell survival in advanced cancer and finding treatments. Others, like Doctor Kitson, Professor Balkwill
**** Possible New Speaker ****
scientists. In the. World. Professor Pezzella working on cancers that affect women, primarily UK, has huge strength in life sciences research, strength in life sciences research, not just in cancer research, and is strongly driven by brilliant women strongly driven by brilliant women scientists. UK women scientists are ranked second only to USA, and many ranked second only to USA, and many featuring in the top 1% of highly cited academics. For the second time in the history of 2026, Blavatnik Awards were awarded to three young women scientists doctor McGowan, Doctor Rosler and Doctor Pinilla.
My Lords, with more girls now taking up Stem subjects, it bodes well for the future of UK science. 57% of PhD students in Cruk institutes are women. At the same time, only 29% reached group leader position at. That needs to change. My Lords have been privileged to be trusted by thousands of women during pregnancy to be able to look after them. Some of them were very anxious time during their pregnancy and if it if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here.
14:22
Baroness Davies of Devonport (Conservative)
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Baroness Davies of Devonport (Conservative)
Yes, yes. >> It's an honour to be here today to celebrate International Women's Day and to hear so many noble Lords, including such interesting maiden speeches. And I have my speeches. And I have my congratulations to all of you. I can't start any other way than to recognise the struggles of women around the world who are not being treated as equals, most especially the solidarity with the women of Afghanistan and Iran who are fighting so bravely for their education, freedom to wear what they want, and even the right to have a voice in public.
Things which we take for granted here in the West. The world is watching as we try to enable half of the world to have the same rights as the other half. It was inspiring and brave to watch the Iranian women's football team abstain from singing the national anthem in protest last Monday at the Asian Cup. As everyone knows, my area of expertise is sport and physical activity, and for ten years now I've been working to get back the equal rights of females to have their own space in sport based simply on safety and fairness in competition.
All my life I have worked to get more people to be able to do sport for everybody. I'm passionate about the positivity, resilience and confidence that being active brings both physically and mentally, which is massively under acknowledged or appreciated. Exercise releases nature's antidepressants. Women, however, get just 5% of all the money that's in the world of sport, and less than 4% of prime time media coverage. I spent a year writing Unfair Play, a book all about the inequalities and injustices in the world of sport.
And in our research, we found on an average day there were 20 men sports stories to every were 20 men sports stories to every one on women. Right now here in the UK, every year boys get 280 million more hours of sport than girls. They get access to a wider range of sports. 340,000 more girls are excluded due to costs, and over half of those girls say seeing role models encourages them to play. But where are those role models? You'd be forgiven if you thought that women's sport was getting more exposure, because in some sports, of course, it is.
Football, rugby and cricket have been getting better coverage and that's brilliant to see. But it's been at the expense of other sports. So our diversity of sports and regular coverage rather than blanket coverage during major tournaments, which is what we see the most of. If I asked you to name just five present day competing female athletes in five different sports, I think you'd probably really struggle. The BBC have even lost the television rights to this year's Home Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event, and now you'll have to watch it on pay per view.
The first time that this has happened in my lifetime. Females are often relegated to unsuitable equipment, inconvenient time slots, less investment into research and use leftover sports facilities after men have had first dibs. I recently spoke to a group of elite female rugby players who can't use the club's state of the art main training facility because it doesn't have floodlights, because the women have to work during the day. And of course, the men don't. Even stadiums in this country are not built with automatic male and female changing limbs.
We require a UK version of the great American title nine, something that's on my to do list at my first Olympics when I was just 13 years old. Just yesterday, I was outnumbered 4 to 1. This is an area, however, that we have made great improvement at elite level, but this does not work its way down. We now lose girls from sport at 11 and 12, when it used to be 15 and 16. We need to think outside of the box.
How we engage young girls to stay involved in physical activity, and if that means putting hairdryers into the school, changing rooms and bringing Zumba classes in, then we need to do that. Presently, 2,000,000 hours are lost to girls who skip P.E. every year. What is so often looked is the confidence participating in sport brings. Fabulous research out of the USA shows us that over 50% of all female CEOs have come from a background where sport played a really big part in their life and gave them confidence and ambition.
If we deter girls from sport, we lose that resilience and that achievement and that achievement and that desire to to go on. It's why it's so important that we give girls and women their own sports category at all levels, not just elite, because all women and girls are worthy, not just the best ones. Female sport is not a consolation prize or a support structure. It is there for women and girls. Peer reviewed science shows us we cannot remove all physical advantage.
The difference remains huge and consistent when presented with unfair unfairness. Females just exclude themselves. Same applies to privacy and changing rooms. 83% of young girls aged between 16 and 24 have reported sexual assault or harassment in sports facilities. Changing villages, though they're cheaper for the councils, are a haven for voyeurism. We must deal in facts and statistics, not feelings, because the feelings of women and girls at the moment are being utterly ignored. I know it was a long time ago, but my own sport of swimming, one of the biggest participation sports and a life saving skill, used to be on screens 4 or 5 times a year.
Today we're lucky if we get it on the television once. And remember, not every little girl wants to be a footballer. Although football is a great sport. Of course. Here, here we need role models across lots of different sports. We have to start telling our young athletes that they're not important. When advantages affect men's sport, it's dealt with extremely quickly. Take carbon shoes or sharkskin swimsuits, either removed in weeks or made available to everybody. But one unfairness affects women's sports. It's treated differently.
It has taken me so far ten years and counting, and we're not there yet. In 1998, the IOC asked our female athletes if they wanted sex screening to remain. Well over 80% said yes and they still removed it. Why ask women if we're going to be ignored? It's very likely this year we will see the reinstatement across all sport, but it's taken us 26 years to get that back. Meantime, women and girls walk away from something that gives them huge positive effect on their lives and helps their mental health, of course, which at the moment is probably at its lowest ebb ever.
My Lords, I have never wanted anyone excluded from sport, but is not beyond our skills to find ways to include everyone without ruining the experience and the opportunities of 51% of our population, because they're worthy of a level playing field too. I can honestly say, after 50 years of being involved in sport, it has given me resilience and confidence, which I've definitely needed over the last few years. And at the moment we're taking that away from our young children, so we need to make sure that we can find more space for them.
To.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
As somebody once said, at this stage in the debate, everything that can be said has already been that can be said has already been said, but not by everyone. When I find myself in that, in that find myself in that, in that position. So if I repeat a few things, then it's not surprising. I things, then it's not surprising. I mean, I think the the UN. mean, I think the the UN. Introduction to this, which says that we should be focusing on rights, justice and action for all women and girls is is is absolutely right.
And it made me immediately
Things which we take for granted here in the West. The world is watching as we try to enable half of the world to have the same rights as the other half. It was inspiring and brave to watch the Iranian women's football team abstain from singing the national anthem in protest last Monday at the Asian Cup. As everyone knows, my area of expertise is sport and physical activity, and for ten years now I've been working to get back the equal rights of females to have their own space in sport based simply on safety and fairness in competition.
All my life I have worked to get more people to be able to do sport for everybody. I'm passionate about the positivity, resilience and confidence that being active brings both physically and mentally, which is massively under acknowledged or appreciated. Exercise releases nature's antidepressants. Women, however, get just 5% of all the money that's in the world of sport, and less than 4% of prime time media coverage. I spent a year writing Unfair Play, a book all about the inequalities and injustices in the world of sport.
And in our research, we found on an average day there were 20 men sports stories to every were 20 men sports stories to every one on women. Right now here in the UK, every year boys get 280 million more hours of sport than girls. They get access to a wider range of sports. 340,000 more girls are excluded due to costs, and over half of those girls say seeing role models encourages them to play. But where are those role models? You'd be forgiven if you thought that women's sport was getting more exposure, because in some sports, of course, it is.
Football, rugby and cricket have been getting better coverage and that's brilliant to see. But it's been at the expense of other sports. So our diversity of sports and regular coverage rather than blanket coverage during major tournaments, which is what we see the most of. If I asked you to name just five present day competing female athletes in five different sports, I think you'd probably really struggle. The BBC have even lost the television rights to this year's Home Commonwealth Games, a multi-sport event, and now you'll have to watch it on pay per view.
The first time that this has happened in my lifetime. Females are often relegated to unsuitable equipment, inconvenient time slots, less investment into research and use leftover sports facilities after men have had first dibs. I recently spoke to a group of elite female rugby players who can't use the club's state of the art main training facility because it doesn't have floodlights, because the women have to work during the day. And of course, the men don't. Even stadiums in this country are not built with automatic male and female changing limbs.
We require a UK version of the great American title nine, something that's on my to do list at my first Olympics when I was just 13 years old. Just yesterday, I was outnumbered 4 to 1. This is an area, however, that we have made great improvement at elite level, but this does not work its way down. We now lose girls from sport at 11 and 12, when it used to be 15 and 16. We need to think outside of the box.
How we engage young girls to stay involved in physical activity, and if that means putting hairdryers into the school, changing rooms and bringing Zumba classes in, then we need to do that. Presently, 2,000,000 hours are lost to girls who skip P.E. every year. What is so often looked is the confidence participating in sport brings. Fabulous research out of the USA shows us that over 50% of all female CEOs have come from a background where sport played a really big part in their life and gave them confidence and ambition.
If we deter girls from sport, we lose that resilience and that achievement and that achievement and that desire to to go on. It's why it's so important that we give girls and women their own sports category at all levels, not just elite, because all women and girls are worthy, not just the best ones. Female sport is not a consolation prize or a support structure. It is there for women and girls. Peer reviewed science shows us we cannot remove all physical advantage.
The difference remains huge and consistent when presented with unfair unfairness. Females just exclude themselves. Same applies to privacy and changing rooms. 83% of young girls aged between 16 and 24 have reported sexual assault or harassment in sports facilities. Changing villages, though they're cheaper for the councils, are a haven for voyeurism. We must deal in facts and statistics, not feelings, because the feelings of women and girls at the moment are being utterly ignored. I know it was a long time ago, but my own sport of swimming, one of the biggest participation sports and a life saving skill, used to be on screens 4 or 5 times a year.
Today we're lucky if we get it on the television once. And remember, not every little girl wants to be a footballer. Although football is a great sport. Of course. Here, here we need role models across lots of different sports. We have to start telling our young athletes that they're not important. When advantages affect men's sport, it's dealt with extremely quickly. Take carbon shoes or sharkskin swimsuits, either removed in weeks or made available to everybody. But one unfairness affects women's sports. It's treated differently.
It has taken me so far ten years and counting, and we're not there yet. In 1998, the IOC asked our female athletes if they wanted sex screening to remain. Well over 80% said yes and they still removed it. Why ask women if we're going to be ignored? It's very likely this year we will see the reinstatement across all sport, but it's taken us 26 years to get that back. Meantime, women and girls walk away from something that gives them huge positive effect on their lives and helps their mental health, of course, which at the moment is probably at its lowest ebb ever.
My Lords, I have never wanted anyone excluded from sport, but is not beyond our skills to find ways to include everyone without ruining the experience and the opportunities of 51% of our population, because they're worthy of a level playing field too. I can honestly say, after 50 years of being involved in sport, it has given me resilience and confidence, which I've definitely needed over the last few years. And at the moment we're taking that away from our young children, so we need to make sure that we can find more space for them.
To.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
As somebody once said, at this stage in the debate, everything that can be said has already been that can be said has already been said, but not by everyone. When I find myself in that, in that find myself in that, in that position. So if I repeat a few things, then it's not surprising. I things, then it's not surprising. I mean, I think the the UN. mean, I think the the UN. Introduction to this, which says that we should be focusing on rights, justice and action for all women and girls is is is absolutely right.
And it made me immediately
14:30
Lord Young of Norwood Green (Labour)
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Lord Young of Norwood Green (Labour)
think of the enormous contribution made by young Iranian women who who fought just for the right to wear fought just for the right to wear what they wanted, whether or not they wanted to, to cover their hair. they wanted to, to cover their hair. I mean, which in this country young young women take, take for granted. young women take, take for granted. I'd like to also obviously congratulate the Minister for her introducing the Women's Day debate and for the fantastic. What a privilege has been for five maiden speeches and they are all so different, so interesting.
I can't wait for the impact you're going to have on on the House. So I congratulate, you know, if I haven't, if I don't pay a personal tribute to all of you, it's just that I don't I don't want to I don't want to go over too much time. There's been so many interesting things raised in this debate. I've got to I've got to add my endorsement of Lord of Lord Bates, no doubt, because I think that we do have to answer that, that that justified criticism.
I want to pay tribute to Lord Ahmed, who for drawing our attention for the tragedies that take place in in war, which are mainly which mainly impact on women. And to my good friend Baroness Verma, who raised the importance of everybody learning our language, because if people don't learn our language, then they are ghettoized, then they are more likely to be to be discriminated against. I thought it was also interesting during this debate that there were, if I don't raise their names because my notes are a bit scruffy, but two two of the noble Baroness raised the importance of the fact that when boys are don't do well, that they're likely to be the next generation of, of of misogynists.
And, you know, so it's in, it's in our interest to ensure that we that we deal we deal with that, with that, with that situation. I've got here today to two friends of mine who have been I hope they've enjoyed the debate. They've had to sit through a lot of it. And I brought them here today because both of them have played a part in education and in education and housing, and they're both very significant women in, in where I live in Ealing.
So I hope they've enjoyed the, the, the, the debate. There. We've had so much good advice and, and I also know Baroness Brady, I'd forgotten your till you reminded me that. Yeah, you had that little job of running a football team and and my apologies. I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten all about that, but I can. Sure. I'm sure that you will received without the slightest bit of misogyny when you first took that job. But thank you for reminding me of it.
But you rose to. The thing was that you, you you rose to the challenge. And that's probably the most, the the most, the most important thing I, I feel that we, we, we've got, we've got to deal with the, we know we've got to deal with with the question of on online, the stuff that's coming out online. We know that that's probably one of the biggest challenges that we that we face, because it's so corrupting the the next, the next generation.
Not not not just boys but girls as, as as as well. So I see that as a top priority. Now. I'm conscious of the fact that this has been a very long debate, and I've tried to ensure that I'd end near as on time. So I've got just a couple of points that I want to raise at the end. First of all, I'm proud of my daughter Laura, who's a junior hospital doctor in Northwick Park Hospital and playing such a, you know, making such a great contribution.
And are things getting any better? Well, this is probably one that you probably won't believe, but as I use public transport quite a lot and I've noticed more men are pushing buggies, I never noticed that sort of 20 years ago, so they must be taking a bit more in in care and care. And a question for the Minister. One final point is, can the Minister explain how the government's childcare reforms will expand opportunity and support more women to stay in return, stay in or
**** Possible New Speaker ****
return to work? Thank you. My Lords. I too would like to pay tribute to the wonderful maiden pay tribute to the wonderful maiden speeches I've had from the women today. I've had the privilege of working with with all of them and working with with all of them and Baroness Linford's case too many years to mention. I feel somehow years to mention. I feel somehow that a new APPG is being formed, the transition from backroom to front of house. On this International Women's Day.
I would like to begin by recognising the remarkable courage of Giselle Pellico, a survivor whose advocacy has become a powerful force for change. She has inspired many
I can't wait for the impact you're going to have on on the House. So I congratulate, you know, if I haven't, if I don't pay a personal tribute to all of you, it's just that I don't I don't want to I don't want to go over too much time. There's been so many interesting things raised in this debate. I've got to I've got to add my endorsement of Lord of Lord Bates, no doubt, because I think that we do have to answer that, that that justified criticism.
I want to pay tribute to Lord Ahmed, who for drawing our attention for the tragedies that take place in in war, which are mainly which mainly impact on women. And to my good friend Baroness Verma, who raised the importance of everybody learning our language, because if people don't learn our language, then they are ghettoized, then they are more likely to be to be discriminated against. I thought it was also interesting during this debate that there were, if I don't raise their names because my notes are a bit scruffy, but two two of the noble Baroness raised the importance of the fact that when boys are don't do well, that they're likely to be the next generation of, of of misogynists.
And, you know, so it's in, it's in our interest to ensure that we that we deal we deal with that, with that, with that situation. I've got here today to two friends of mine who have been I hope they've enjoyed the debate. They've had to sit through a lot of it. And I brought them here today because both of them have played a part in education and in education and housing, and they're both very significant women in, in where I live in Ealing.
So I hope they've enjoyed the, the, the, the debate. There. We've had so much good advice and, and I also know Baroness Brady, I'd forgotten your till you reminded me that. Yeah, you had that little job of running a football team and and my apologies. I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten all about that, but I can. Sure. I'm sure that you will received without the slightest bit of misogyny when you first took that job. But thank you for reminding me of it.
But you rose to. The thing was that you, you you rose to the challenge. And that's probably the most, the the most, the most important thing I, I feel that we, we, we've got, we've got to deal with the, we know we've got to deal with with the question of on online, the stuff that's coming out online. We know that that's probably one of the biggest challenges that we that we face, because it's so corrupting the the next, the next generation.
Not not not just boys but girls as, as as as well. So I see that as a top priority. Now. I'm conscious of the fact that this has been a very long debate, and I've tried to ensure that I'd end near as on time. So I've got just a couple of points that I want to raise at the end. First of all, I'm proud of my daughter Laura, who's a junior hospital doctor in Northwick Park Hospital and playing such a, you know, making such a great contribution.
And are things getting any better? Well, this is probably one that you probably won't believe, but as I use public transport quite a lot and I've noticed more men are pushing buggies, I never noticed that sort of 20 years ago, so they must be taking a bit more in in care and care. And a question for the Minister. One final point is, can the Minister explain how the government's childcare reforms will expand opportunity and support more women to stay in return, stay in or
**** Possible New Speaker ****
return to work? Thank you. My Lords. I too would like to pay tribute to the wonderful maiden pay tribute to the wonderful maiden speeches I've had from the women today. I've had the privilege of working with with all of them and working with with all of them and Baroness Linford's case too many years to mention. I feel somehow years to mention. I feel somehow that a new APPG is being formed, the transition from backroom to front of house. On this International Women's Day.
I would like to begin by recognising the remarkable courage of Giselle Pellico, a survivor whose advocacy has become a powerful force for change. She has inspired many
14:36
Baroness Nye (Labour)
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Baroness Nye (Labour)
through her determination to shift the burden of shame away from victims and firmly onto perpetrators. Her work stands as a reminder that survival itself is an act of resistance, and that the voices of survivors must be central to reform. Yet for every woman able to speak publicly, there are too to speak publicly, there are too many who cannot. We have heard from my noble friend Baroness Casey, the list of women whose lives have so list of women whose lives have so tragically been cut short this year because of domestic violence by men.
However, what that list does not include are the number of women who take the desperate decision to take their lives following domestic abuse. Because those deaths are vastly under-recorded. It is thought that official statistics may capture as little as 6% of suicides, where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. A recent regional study from Kent found that one third of all suicides between 2018 and 24 involved domestic abuse. If reflected across the UK, as many as 1500 women each year may be committing suicide because of abuse, up to 15 times higher than previously recognized.
This means that women experiencing abuse may now be more likely to die by suicide than by homicide. This is not only a tragedy, it is a profound institutional failure. The Government's Tackling Violence Against Women strategy rightly highlights the lack of professional curiosity that has so often characterized institutional responses to these deaths. The government knows that it is vital that police officers acknowledge the link between domestic abuse and suicide, and is working to make sure that understanding is effectively embedded. But policing cannot shoulder this burden alone.
The NHS has a crucial role in prevention. In far too many cases, there has been repeated contact with health services, and it is shocking that 85% of victims ask for help five times before they receive the support they need. GPS are often the first port of call, and every doctor, nurse and healthcare worker must be trained to be confident in spotting the hidden agenda that can lie behind routine appointments. We also need to ensure better data sharing across the NHS between GPS, A&E and mental health services so that the warning signs are not lost in silos.
These women deserve far better. We need to address underreporting, improve investigative standards and reform the way abuse linked suicides are identified and recorded. But as we confront violence against women in our own communities, we must also recognise that such violence is not confined within our national borders. In that respect, I refer the house to my entry in the Register Register because as a trustee of the Burma Campaign UK, I know how women and girls in Myanmar continue to face widespread and systematic systemic sexual violence in that ongoing conflict.
The situation in Myanmar remains one of the gravest humanitarian and human rights crisis of our time. Before and after the military coup in 2021, the Burmese army has systematically, systematically weaponised sexual violence as a tactic of war, escalating a long standing pattern of rape, gang rape and sexual torture to terrorise and crush resistance. Now, credible testimonies show that the Arakan Army in Rakhine State is adopting the same tactics, also perpetuating rape and torture, mainly against Rohingya women and girls in detention centres.
As the penholder on Myanmar that the UN Security Council, Britain has a responsibility to take a lead. But unlike the US, Canada and the, it has been more than a year since the British government brought in any new sanctions to reduce money, arms and equipment, including jet fuel, reaching the Burmese military. And there have been no sanctions at all on any member of the Arakan Army responsible for these atrocities. So will the noble Lady, the Minister ask the Foreign Secretary as a matter of urgency, to look at further sanctions.
The people of Burma need a signal that the world is watching, and that the perpetrators of these crimes cannot act with impunity, because the women and girls deserve no less.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Very good. Just having a little nap there,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Just having a little nap there, as if I could be after all of these absolutely brilliant speeches that that we've had today, quite remarkable. And just like to start remarkable. And just like to start off by welcoming the the newcomers to this House, it was absolutely to this House, it was absolutely fascinating learning about the diversity of experience. And I'm just so looking forward to hearing you when, when you get going. And just absolutely delighted that we've got so many very clever women on benches now, not that there weren't clever before, but you know what I mean.
You know what I mean. So, my Lords, it's just impossible to cover all the issues that we've,
However, what that list does not include are the number of women who take the desperate decision to take their lives following domestic abuse. Because those deaths are vastly under-recorded. It is thought that official statistics may capture as little as 6% of suicides, where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. A recent regional study from Kent found that one third of all suicides between 2018 and 24 involved domestic abuse. If reflected across the UK, as many as 1500 women each year may be committing suicide because of abuse, up to 15 times higher than previously recognized.
This means that women experiencing abuse may now be more likely to die by suicide than by homicide. This is not only a tragedy, it is a profound institutional failure. The Government's Tackling Violence Against Women strategy rightly highlights the lack of professional curiosity that has so often characterized institutional responses to these deaths. The government knows that it is vital that police officers acknowledge the link between domestic abuse and suicide, and is working to make sure that understanding is effectively embedded. But policing cannot shoulder this burden alone.
The NHS has a crucial role in prevention. In far too many cases, there has been repeated contact with health services, and it is shocking that 85% of victims ask for help five times before they receive the support they need. GPS are often the first port of call, and every doctor, nurse and healthcare worker must be trained to be confident in spotting the hidden agenda that can lie behind routine appointments. We also need to ensure better data sharing across the NHS between GPS, A&E and mental health services so that the warning signs are not lost in silos.
These women deserve far better. We need to address underreporting, improve investigative standards and reform the way abuse linked suicides are identified and recorded. But as we confront violence against women in our own communities, we must also recognise that such violence is not confined within our national borders. In that respect, I refer the house to my entry in the Register Register because as a trustee of the Burma Campaign UK, I know how women and girls in Myanmar continue to face widespread and systematic systemic sexual violence in that ongoing conflict.
The situation in Myanmar remains one of the gravest humanitarian and human rights crisis of our time. Before and after the military coup in 2021, the Burmese army has systematically, systematically weaponised sexual violence as a tactic of war, escalating a long standing pattern of rape, gang rape and sexual torture to terrorise and crush resistance. Now, credible testimonies show that the Arakan Army in Rakhine State is adopting the same tactics, also perpetuating rape and torture, mainly against Rohingya women and girls in detention centres.
As the penholder on Myanmar that the UN Security Council, Britain has a responsibility to take a lead. But unlike the US, Canada and the, it has been more than a year since the British government brought in any new sanctions to reduce money, arms and equipment, including jet fuel, reaching the Burmese military. And there have been no sanctions at all on any member of the Arakan Army responsible for these atrocities. So will the noble Lady, the Minister ask the Foreign Secretary as a matter of urgency, to look at further sanctions.
The people of Burma need a signal that the world is watching, and that the perpetrators of these crimes cannot act with impunity, because the women and girls deserve no less.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Very good. Just having a little nap there,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Just having a little nap there, as if I could be after all of these absolutely brilliant speeches that that we've had today, quite remarkable. And just like to start remarkable. And just like to start off by welcoming the the newcomers to this House, it was absolutely to this House, it was absolutely fascinating learning about the diversity of experience. And I'm just so looking forward to hearing you when, when you get going. And just absolutely delighted that we've got so many very clever women on benches now, not that there weren't clever before, but you know what I mean.
You know what I mean. So, my Lords, it's just impossible to cover all the issues that we've,
14:41
Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat)
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Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat)
we've talked about today. And I'm we've talked about today. And I'm not going to have to do this again, which I'm so thoroughly thankful which I'm so thoroughly thankful for, because, my Lords, this is my last and 11th speech I'll be making last and 11th speech I'll be making in this House to celebrate International Women's Day. I'll be International Women's Day. I'll be retiring very soon. I like that are. But I do use the word celebrate advisedly because over the years some issues change.
But the basic premise that most women are more vulnerable and have fewer opportunities than men than men persists. And I'm only talking about this country where we in the main, have far better treatment and more equal rights compared to men than many others. We've we've been listening to quite harrowing descriptions of some actions by by men in power. We don't need to to know look very far to see the names of those men who are making.
The lives of women and men as well, all over the world, just that little bit impoverished. And as soon as I go, the better, as far as I'm concerned. But I shouldn't really be saying things that are disrespectful to to people that we are supposedly in working with for a better world. I look forward to the better world bit. So I was just thinking about, you know, the world itself and and where you would go if you were looking for an explanation or ideas for how we do.
We improve things for for women. And I think you've got to go probably to the Scandinavian countries to be able to see examples of of true equality. I heard a lovely story of a young boy who was talking to his mum, and he was incredulous to discover that his country, which was Iceland, could have a male Prime Minister. So that's very sweet. But it does illustrate that we've got a long, long way to go. I don't want to patronise the house by going into the difference between what's a man? What's a woman? But I think Baroness Jenkin was talking about pornification of society and how it puts girls off growing up to be women.
And on reflection, you know, I don't think I'd want to adopt male attributes, but I just want more equal rights. So not so much today. But when I was little, I would have loved to be a boy, but I have. I have discovered that there are there are advantages of being of being a woman and being in that in that particular club. So I kind of get why women would want to, to change to men. But why, oh, why would a male want to become female and accept fewer rights? Unless of course, they felt genuinely disembodied, i.e.
in the wrong body. My attitude to work to people who want to change sex has always been come on in. Be what you want to be. We've got one life, so why live it in the wrong body? Ever since I took on this equalities role, I've been trying to figure out why some women don't want people of other sexes to join their club, as it were. They want the exclusiveness of the sex that they were born into. In my personal view, I think it would be better to welcome them to the ongoing fight because, as we've learned today, there's so much more that we need to to fight for certainly is plenty.
I've never understood why and probably never will, because as a woman, I've anyway grown to love that sisterhood which we all share. Isn't it lovely? You know that we can have a day when we celebrate our individual individuality as as insects. The sex that we are. Anyway, let's leave aside what's happening to to women who want to change. And also, I don't want to dwell on what's happening to women in other countries which repress women, international politics and treatment and yeah, international politics and treatment is too much to cover.
And I want my outgoing speeches equalities spokesperson to be positive just for once. So I'd love to take a moment to look at the other end of the telescope, as it were, and count a few of the blessings that we enjoy as women in the UK. Men and women fight together to improve the lot of women. We get a lot of support from men, and I'm absolutely delighted to see the number of men that have not only attended, but have taken not only attended, but have taken part today.
It it of course there is misogyny, harassment, etc. but many improvements are in the process of being made before the law. We are just dealing with the justice Bill, a more understanding approach to the pressure and challenge of being a witness is ever challenging. Women who are victims are in the main, supported and more sheltered than they have ever been. Getting justice as a victim of sexual crime is ever a huge challenge. The figures of perpetrators brought to court, let alone prosecuted, is, I think everyone will agree here, miserable.
But we have champions. We have people like already mentioned by Baroness Nye, Giselle Pellico, who refuses to take ownership of the shame of multiple horrible rapes and inspiration. Mazepa in sport, we were just Baroness Davis of Davenport just pointed out the inequalities in much sport. I was going to put this down as a plus on my list, because I hadn't realized that there were a lot of issues relating to women's sport, which we which we don't appreciate have happened, or I certainly didn't, far less concentration on sports, which we we're still really good at.
But don't we don't necessarily get the funding or the treatment as, as second class citizens basically. Speaking of which. We in health have more complicated bits inside than men in many areas of health were ignored and women's pain demeaned because men don't understand or have to endure the same pain. But that's improved hugely. And I'm very, very happy that that we're in that situation now, and we look forward to learning rather more.
We're becoming more equal, but at glacially paced improvement, I'm afraid to say. All in, I think all British women things are on the up. Not least there are more of us in positions to make decisions and with our sisters as well, we can put we can help pull each other up the ladder, and we can all be there, men and women. It won't work otherwise. We are the ones who understand, who have special skills in abundance, empathy, etcetera, etcetera that will make the world better for each other and the world itself.
So, sisters and brothers, it's been a fascinating day. Despite all the bad things, we are all on the up, and the more we do it together, the better it will be. So as a colleague from the from the Labour benches said earlier, let's focus on the light not too far into the darkness and let's march forward together.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Hello my Lords, it's a pleasure
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Hello my Lords, it's a pleasure to rise to speak in this debate, and I'd also like to thank the noble Lady, Baroness Lloyd, for noble Lady, Baroness Lloyd, for securing it. I think it's an unusual debate because it feels unusual debate because it feels really quite personal. Not only are all of we noble Lords and all of we noble Lords and Baronesses in the room, but also on many occasions, our mothers, grandmothers and other significant women in our lives are here, so to
But the basic premise that most women are more vulnerable and have fewer opportunities than men than men persists. And I'm only talking about this country where we in the main, have far better treatment and more equal rights compared to men than many others. We've we've been listening to quite harrowing descriptions of some actions by by men in power. We don't need to to know look very far to see the names of those men who are making.
The lives of women and men as well, all over the world, just that little bit impoverished. And as soon as I go, the better, as far as I'm concerned. But I shouldn't really be saying things that are disrespectful to to people that we are supposedly in working with for a better world. I look forward to the better world bit. So I was just thinking about, you know, the world itself and and where you would go if you were looking for an explanation or ideas for how we do.
We improve things for for women. And I think you've got to go probably to the Scandinavian countries to be able to see examples of of true equality. I heard a lovely story of a young boy who was talking to his mum, and he was incredulous to discover that his country, which was Iceland, could have a male Prime Minister. So that's very sweet. But it does illustrate that we've got a long, long way to go. I don't want to patronise the house by going into the difference between what's a man? What's a woman? But I think Baroness Jenkin was talking about pornification of society and how it puts girls off growing up to be women.
And on reflection, you know, I don't think I'd want to adopt male attributes, but I just want more equal rights. So not so much today. But when I was little, I would have loved to be a boy, but I have. I have discovered that there are there are advantages of being of being a woman and being in that in that particular club. So I kind of get why women would want to, to change to men. But why, oh, why would a male want to become female and accept fewer rights? Unless of course, they felt genuinely disembodied, i.e.
in the wrong body. My attitude to work to people who want to change sex has always been come on in. Be what you want to be. We've got one life, so why live it in the wrong body? Ever since I took on this equalities role, I've been trying to figure out why some women don't want people of other sexes to join their club, as it were. They want the exclusiveness of the sex that they were born into. In my personal view, I think it would be better to welcome them to the ongoing fight because, as we've learned today, there's so much more that we need to to fight for certainly is plenty.
I've never understood why and probably never will, because as a woman, I've anyway grown to love that sisterhood which we all share. Isn't it lovely? You know that we can have a day when we celebrate our individual individuality as as insects. The sex that we are. Anyway, let's leave aside what's happening to to women who want to change. And also, I don't want to dwell on what's happening to women in other countries which repress women, international politics and treatment and yeah, international politics and treatment is too much to cover.
And I want my outgoing speeches equalities spokesperson to be positive just for once. So I'd love to take a moment to look at the other end of the telescope, as it were, and count a few of the blessings that we enjoy as women in the UK. Men and women fight together to improve the lot of women. We get a lot of support from men, and I'm absolutely delighted to see the number of men that have not only attended, but have taken not only attended, but have taken part today.
It it of course there is misogyny, harassment, etc. but many improvements are in the process of being made before the law. We are just dealing with the justice Bill, a more understanding approach to the pressure and challenge of being a witness is ever challenging. Women who are victims are in the main, supported and more sheltered than they have ever been. Getting justice as a victim of sexual crime is ever a huge challenge. The figures of perpetrators brought to court, let alone prosecuted, is, I think everyone will agree here, miserable.
But we have champions. We have people like already mentioned by Baroness Nye, Giselle Pellico, who refuses to take ownership of the shame of multiple horrible rapes and inspiration. Mazepa in sport, we were just Baroness Davis of Davenport just pointed out the inequalities in much sport. I was going to put this down as a plus on my list, because I hadn't realized that there were a lot of issues relating to women's sport, which we which we don't appreciate have happened, or I certainly didn't, far less concentration on sports, which we we're still really good at.
But don't we don't necessarily get the funding or the treatment as, as second class citizens basically. Speaking of which. We in health have more complicated bits inside than men in many areas of health were ignored and women's pain demeaned because men don't understand or have to endure the same pain. But that's improved hugely. And I'm very, very happy that that we're in that situation now, and we look forward to learning rather more.
We're becoming more equal, but at glacially paced improvement, I'm afraid to say. All in, I think all British women things are on the up. Not least there are more of us in positions to make decisions and with our sisters as well, we can put we can help pull each other up the ladder, and we can all be there, men and women. It won't work otherwise. We are the ones who understand, who have special skills in abundance, empathy, etcetera, etcetera that will make the world better for each other and the world itself.
So, sisters and brothers, it's been a fascinating day. Despite all the bad things, we are all on the up, and the more we do it together, the better it will be. So as a colleague from the from the Labour benches said earlier, let's focus on the light not too far into the darkness and let's march forward together.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Hello my Lords, it's a pleasure
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Hello my Lords, it's a pleasure to rise to speak in this debate, and I'd also like to thank the noble Lady, Baroness Lloyd, for noble Lady, Baroness Lloyd, for securing it. I think it's an unusual debate because it feels unusual debate because it feels really quite personal. Not only are all of we noble Lords and all of we noble Lords and Baronesses in the room, but also on many occasions, our mothers, grandmothers and other significant women in our lives are here, so to
14:51
Baroness Merron (Labour)
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Baroness Merron (Labour)
speak, in spirit. I wanted to start speak, in spirit. I wanted to start by just acknowledging the excellent by just acknowledging the excellent maiden speeches and starting with Baroness Nargund. She talked about Baroness Nargund. She talked about justice, equality and service in her family, not just being her family, not just being aspirations, but her reality, and that, I think, resonated with all of us. And that compassion must be matched by competence. And I say here, here to that the noble Lady, Baroness Linforth, talked about her tea making skills, but she also talked about her ability to spot errant nonsense a mile away.
And if I could just urge her to focus on the second rather than the first. I was also relieved to hear that being asked to do ludicrous things is a cross-party phenomenon. Baroness MacLeod of, I think, will bring great value to the House. It was really a joy to listen to the noble Lady making the case for the importance of high quality journalism in a world of misinformation and fake news. But she also painted the most beautiful picture of life in the Highlands, an area personally, I'm incredibly fond of, and the importance of the Gaelic language.
Baroness Martin's speech, I felt, was an example in real modesty and incredibly self effacing. She got almost to the end without actually mentioning herself, focused on others. And I predict that in her focus on economic growth and the role of women in that, she may form alliances with my noble friend Baroness Brady in putting the foot on the accelerator of progress. And last and definitely not least, to welcome Baroness Paul with her focus on working class boys and the importance of education, she talked about learning from the house.
I felt very much we would be learning from her, and I just wanted to say to all the noble Ladies that we really do try and work in a cross-party way in this House, and that's when we often do our best work. And so I hope that they will move forward in that spirit. And finally, I just wanted to acknowledge, as did Baroness Kane, the earliest women who were joined your Lordships House following the Life Peerages Act, the first maiden speech being made by Katharine Elliot, Baroness Elliot of Harwood, who said who acknowledged the trepidation which we all feel making our maiden speech.
She said I've always found in life, if there's something difficult to do, it doesn't get any easier when you do not do it, but put it off. So she sounds like a great addition to the house. She also noted that with the exception of Her Majesty's Opening of Parliament, hers was the first occasion in 900 years that the voice of a woman had been heard the voice of a woman had been heard in your Lordships House. Turning to the extraordinary speeches that we had across all benches.
The theme which ran through all of them was one of fairness and equality of opportunity, whether that be in relation to public life, which of course is dear to all of our hearts who are privileged enough to sit in your Lordships House. And I'd like to acknowledge Baroness Royal and the work of the Jo Cox Foundation. As a former Minister of Loneliness, I was fortunate enough to work a bit with the foundation and to meet Jo's parents and her focus on respect and trust in public life is needed, perhaps more today than when she advocated for it.
I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the House in acknowledging the contribution from Baroness Campbell of Surbiton. She's an extraordinary role model, both of courage, of talent and of professionalism on behalf of disabled women. And I'd also like to mention my noble friend Baroness Davies of Devonport's speech, where she made such a strong case for the importance of inclusion of women in sport, including those with almost no talent, which I was extremely relieved to know that I was on the team.
There was also, quite rightly, a big focus among your Lordships on the importance of women's contribution to the economy. Of course, from the noble Baroness, the Minister from my noble friend Baroness Bloomfield, from the noble Lady who's moved Baroness Hunter of auction, and from my noble friend Baroness Brady. I was slightly appalled at the idea that we haven't even hit the starting gun as women in terms of our 72 free days of work, and absolutely support her call to accelerate action.
And thank very much, my noble friend Baroness Morrissey, for the work that she is doing to support the careers of women. And I'm sure with her leadership, it will soon be two steps forward and maybe not even one backwards. Rightly, we also heard very powerful voices in relation to the situation internationally, and we all think of the women in Iran and Afghanistan in particular. But we heard, including from Baroness Nye, sadly, cases of many other countries around the world, we were surrounded by such authority from my noble friends, Baroness, Lord Ahmed, Baroness Zak, Lord Bates, Baroness Hodgson as well, of course, as the noble Baroness de Souza, the noble Lord, Lord McConnell, Baroness Goudie, among others.
And the. The point made right at the outset of this debate by by the noble Lady, Baroness D'Souza, that gender equality is so elusive and can slip away from us, echoed by my noble friend Baroness Sugg. The noble Lady spoke in relation, I think, to education and my noble friend in relation to health, and importantly, my noble friends. Lord Ahmed and Baroness Hodgson spoke of the terrible curse of sexual violence in conflict. And I know that the government will have heard the calls for more action in relation to these issues from across the House.
I commend I think she's my noble friend. She was outside the house, so I'm hoping she still is. Baroness Casey for reading the names of the women who'd lost their lives and been killed by men known to them, and I had hoped to recruit her for the APPG for parliamentarians with weak tear ducts. But she did so extraordinarily bravely. Today, I'm afraid she's no longer eligible. But many noble Lords talked about the attitudes which underpin violence against women and girls, perhaps exemplified, if that's the right word, most horrifically by Jeffrey Epstein, but also by the courage of women like Giselle Pellico to reject that.
And we heard from my noble friend Baroness Verma about the importance of addressing violence against women and girls from from the noble Lady, Baroness Cahir. The particular impact for Muslim women. I was really struck by the huge focus from many of your Lordships on online harm, and particularly the impact on young women, including in relation. To sexual abuse, child sexual abuse material online from the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Clan Vice and the Pornification, which, as my noble friend Baroness Jenkins said, is silently creeping into our children's lives.
And of course, the risk of radicalisation which the noble Lady Baroness Paul referred to. My Lords, in closing, I wanted to end on a slightly personal note about the women who, firstly one woman who I think we all miss, Baroness Newlove, who was such a tireless campaigner on. In relation to crime and and the criminal justice system and victims, who, of course, died within the last year. I wanted to mention briefly the women in this house on my benches.
There are many around the house, but just on my benches who've inspired me, including Baroness Bertin, Baroness Irwin, both who've campaigned tirelessly on the most difficult subjects. And I also wanted to mention my noble friend Baroness Jenkin, who has done so much to bring women into public life and political life and has the most incredible nose for what the next issue is that will gain momentum. So if she says to you, I'm getting interested in X, my advice is be interested in X.
I also wanted to pay tribute in this to a former colleague of mine, the hon. Member for Lowestoft, Jess Asato, who I know has suffered the most terrible abuse online and I pay tribute to her courage in dealing with it. But just finally, outside this house, like many noble Lords, I've spent a lot of time in recent months working in relation to social media and the risks that it poses to women and girls and to young boys. I'd like to thank and acknowledge the inspiration I've received from the groups working on it, including health professionals for Safe Screens, Generation Focus, Safe Screens and in particular, My smartphone ban WhatsApp group who who wake me up in the morning with cheerful messages and I often go to sleep reading the last message.
And they've been tireless, constructive, honest and brave throughout. But most importantly, I want to acknowledge the parents who lost children as a result of social media. Esther Guy, mother of Brianna Ellen Room, mother of Jules. Holly dance, mother of Archie. Mariano. Janine. Mother. Father but honorary mother in this context of Mia Lorin LaFave. Gordon, mother of Breck and Lisa Kevin Van, mother of Isaac. We give a voice to them in this house and we all know that it is the most enormous privilege.
Going back to the first women peers in this House, they were described, and I quote, as making history without unduly disturbing it. And I hope that noble Lords, new and less new, will go on making history and
**** Possible New Speaker ****
disturb it as much as is needed. Well, what a.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Well, what a. Splendid debate we have had today. And if I could start by today. And if I could start by recognizing the excellent maiden speeches that we have heard today, speeches that we have heard today, my noble friend, Baroness Nagrand, vividly describing her and her family's journey from southwest
And if I could just urge her to focus on the second rather than the first. I was also relieved to hear that being asked to do ludicrous things is a cross-party phenomenon. Baroness MacLeod of, I think, will bring great value to the House. It was really a joy to listen to the noble Lady making the case for the importance of high quality journalism in a world of misinformation and fake news. But she also painted the most beautiful picture of life in the Highlands, an area personally, I'm incredibly fond of, and the importance of the Gaelic language.
Baroness Martin's speech, I felt, was an example in real modesty and incredibly self effacing. She got almost to the end without actually mentioning herself, focused on others. And I predict that in her focus on economic growth and the role of women in that, she may form alliances with my noble friend Baroness Brady in putting the foot on the accelerator of progress. And last and definitely not least, to welcome Baroness Paul with her focus on working class boys and the importance of education, she talked about learning from the house.
I felt very much we would be learning from her, and I just wanted to say to all the noble Ladies that we really do try and work in a cross-party way in this House, and that's when we often do our best work. And so I hope that they will move forward in that spirit. And finally, I just wanted to acknowledge, as did Baroness Kane, the earliest women who were joined your Lordships House following the Life Peerages Act, the first maiden speech being made by Katharine Elliot, Baroness Elliot of Harwood, who said who acknowledged the trepidation which we all feel making our maiden speech.
She said I've always found in life, if there's something difficult to do, it doesn't get any easier when you do not do it, but put it off. So she sounds like a great addition to the house. She also noted that with the exception of Her Majesty's Opening of Parliament, hers was the first occasion in 900 years that the voice of a woman had been heard the voice of a woman had been heard in your Lordships House. Turning to the extraordinary speeches that we had across all benches.
The theme which ran through all of them was one of fairness and equality of opportunity, whether that be in relation to public life, which of course is dear to all of our hearts who are privileged enough to sit in your Lordships House. And I'd like to acknowledge Baroness Royal and the work of the Jo Cox Foundation. As a former Minister of Loneliness, I was fortunate enough to work a bit with the foundation and to meet Jo's parents and her focus on respect and trust in public life is needed, perhaps more today than when she advocated for it.
I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the House in acknowledging the contribution from Baroness Campbell of Surbiton. She's an extraordinary role model, both of courage, of talent and of professionalism on behalf of disabled women. And I'd also like to mention my noble friend Baroness Davies of Devonport's speech, where she made such a strong case for the importance of inclusion of women in sport, including those with almost no talent, which I was extremely relieved to know that I was on the team.
There was also, quite rightly, a big focus among your Lordships on the importance of women's contribution to the economy. Of course, from the noble Baroness, the Minister from my noble friend Baroness Bloomfield, from the noble Lady who's moved Baroness Hunter of auction, and from my noble friend Baroness Brady. I was slightly appalled at the idea that we haven't even hit the starting gun as women in terms of our 72 free days of work, and absolutely support her call to accelerate action.
And thank very much, my noble friend Baroness Morrissey, for the work that she is doing to support the careers of women. And I'm sure with her leadership, it will soon be two steps forward and maybe not even one backwards. Rightly, we also heard very powerful voices in relation to the situation internationally, and we all think of the women in Iran and Afghanistan in particular. But we heard, including from Baroness Nye, sadly, cases of many other countries around the world, we were surrounded by such authority from my noble friends, Baroness, Lord Ahmed, Baroness Zak, Lord Bates, Baroness Hodgson as well, of course, as the noble Baroness de Souza, the noble Lord, Lord McConnell, Baroness Goudie, among others.
And the. The point made right at the outset of this debate by by the noble Lady, Baroness D'Souza, that gender equality is so elusive and can slip away from us, echoed by my noble friend Baroness Sugg. The noble Lady spoke in relation, I think, to education and my noble friend in relation to health, and importantly, my noble friends. Lord Ahmed and Baroness Hodgson spoke of the terrible curse of sexual violence in conflict. And I know that the government will have heard the calls for more action in relation to these issues from across the House.
I commend I think she's my noble friend. She was outside the house, so I'm hoping she still is. Baroness Casey for reading the names of the women who'd lost their lives and been killed by men known to them, and I had hoped to recruit her for the APPG for parliamentarians with weak tear ducts. But she did so extraordinarily bravely. Today, I'm afraid she's no longer eligible. But many noble Lords talked about the attitudes which underpin violence against women and girls, perhaps exemplified, if that's the right word, most horrifically by Jeffrey Epstein, but also by the courage of women like Giselle Pellico to reject that.
And we heard from my noble friend Baroness Verma about the importance of addressing violence against women and girls from from the noble Lady, Baroness Cahir. The particular impact for Muslim women. I was really struck by the huge focus from many of your Lordships on online harm, and particularly the impact on young women, including in relation. To sexual abuse, child sexual abuse material online from the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Clan Vice and the Pornification, which, as my noble friend Baroness Jenkins said, is silently creeping into our children's lives.
And of course, the risk of radicalisation which the noble Lady Baroness Paul referred to. My Lords, in closing, I wanted to end on a slightly personal note about the women who, firstly one woman who I think we all miss, Baroness Newlove, who was such a tireless campaigner on. In relation to crime and and the criminal justice system and victims, who, of course, died within the last year. I wanted to mention briefly the women in this house on my benches.
There are many around the house, but just on my benches who've inspired me, including Baroness Bertin, Baroness Irwin, both who've campaigned tirelessly on the most difficult subjects. And I also wanted to mention my noble friend Baroness Jenkin, who has done so much to bring women into public life and political life and has the most incredible nose for what the next issue is that will gain momentum. So if she says to you, I'm getting interested in X, my advice is be interested in X.
I also wanted to pay tribute in this to a former colleague of mine, the hon. Member for Lowestoft, Jess Asato, who I know has suffered the most terrible abuse online and I pay tribute to her courage in dealing with it. But just finally, outside this house, like many noble Lords, I've spent a lot of time in recent months working in relation to social media and the risks that it poses to women and girls and to young boys. I'd like to thank and acknowledge the inspiration I've received from the groups working on it, including health professionals for Safe Screens, Generation Focus, Safe Screens and in particular, My smartphone ban WhatsApp group who who wake me up in the morning with cheerful messages and I often go to sleep reading the last message.
And they've been tireless, constructive, honest and brave throughout. But most importantly, I want to acknowledge the parents who lost children as a result of social media. Esther Guy, mother of Brianna Ellen Room, mother of Jules. Holly dance, mother of Archie. Mariano. Janine. Mother. Father but honorary mother in this context of Mia Lorin LaFave. Gordon, mother of Breck and Lisa Kevin Van, mother of Isaac. We give a voice to them in this house and we all know that it is the most enormous privilege.
Going back to the first women peers in this House, they were described, and I quote, as making history without unduly disturbing it. And I hope that noble Lords, new and less new, will go on making history and
**** Possible New Speaker ****
disturb it as much as is needed. Well, what a.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
Well, what a. Splendid debate we have had today. And if I could start by today. And if I could start by recognizing the excellent maiden speeches that we have heard today, speeches that we have heard today, my noble friend, Baroness Nagrand, vividly describing her and her family's journey from southwest
15:05
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour)
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Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour)
India and her family's history of struggle, which I have no doubt struggle, which I have no doubt will inform her contributions in our house. And given the story that she told, perhaps we should hand out sweets to everybody in the House of Lords to celebrate her House of Lords to celebrate her arrival here. And I know that her NHS experience will also be brought NHS experience will also be brought to bear on our discussions. My noble friend, Baroness Linforth, all of us who have been Labour Party members over recent years will wholly understand the comments of those who have said how much relief you feel when you see, as she then, was Carol Linforth in charge of some very tricky event, a phenomenal contribution to our party.
As others have noticed, stopping errant nonsense from men in the Labour Party is a major contribution to political life and I really welcome, as others have, the conversion of her backroom influence to being a strong voice in this house. My noble friend, Baroness McLeod, drawing on her Scottish heritage, identifying the both the learning and the impact on her, on her political views from that, and also, of course, at the point at which I knew her better, her role as a journalist and as others have said, I think her contribution as poacher turned gamekeeper to our consideration about freedom of speech and the role of free journalism in this House will be important.
And of course, I was particularly proud to work with her during the last years of the last Labour government, and she is, as others have described her, stalwart and knowledgeable and will be a major asset to our house. My noble friend Baroness Martin and I do agree with the noble Lady, Baroness, Baron, that it was, it was it was just like her to focus as she did not on herself, but on the issues that the challenges that will motivate her.
But from her time at the Youth Justice Board, through her time as supporting within government, her work alongside our first female Chancellor of the Exchequer and her ongoing work with women in business, she will, I think, make a reality of the objectives that she set to ensure that we do all we can in this country, to make sure that background doesn't determine destination. And she will be she will have a major role to play in that. And my noble friend Baroness Paul telling us with great warmth about her, her family, I have no doubt, by the way, even if she doubted, if she doubted it, that she will do them extremely proud.
She has enormous energy. She has had the opportunity working both within the political sphere and then campaigning and lobbying, whether or not on national Citizenship Service or on issues around boys and radicalisation, as we've heard, that will make a major contribution to this House. The other amazing thing about this debate, of course, is identifies for us the diversity and range of women and the issues that they take up and that challenge them. So we've heard from the the noble Lady, Baroness Bloomfield, about the Welsh women that she celebrated from the noble Lady, Baroness Cahir, who made a strong argument both about the in representation of Muslim women, and also an argument that about the range of their voice, their breadth and their agency.
From my noble friend Baroness Hunter, my noble friend Viscount Stansgate, and the noble Lord Lord Patel, who focused on the contribution of women in science and engineering and what we need to do to ensure that continues. The noble Lady, Baroness Campbell, who did as she always does, ably represent and challenge us on the role of disabled women. And I do believe that my decision to make her chair of the Social Care Institute of Excellence was one of the better decisions I made as a Minister.
My noble friend, Baroness Carbery, talking about women in the military, both to ensure that we provide our thanks and recognition, but also to raise the injustices of some of the treatment that they experience. The noble Lady, Baroness Verma and the noble Lord Lord Taylor, who identified the intersectionality between race and sex, that sometimes that does cause specific issues and challenges for black and minority ethnic women. And my noble friend Baroness Gill, talking about the contribution of Sikh women, I will, in the time left, try to pick up some of the key themes and respond to points that have been raised.
Firstly, there was the the the issue of representation and voice where many noble Lords noted the progress that has been made in political representation in both of these houses, certainly since I was elected, when there were still only in 1997, where there was still only 18% of women in the House of Commons, but where, due to action actually across parties. Although I have to say, I'm particularly proud of Labour's commitment to all women shortlists, which was the basis for my selection and election.
We have seen a considerable growth and we do now have that over 40% of women in the House of Commons. And as my noble friend Baroness Cain also identified here in the Lords, a growing number of women, as we've seen in the quality of the debate this morning, I may I might just comment, given that the noble Lady, Baroness Burt, will be leaving us to thank her for her her role here, as she always does, and it demonstrates her commitment to women's representation throughout the whole of her distinguished career.
My noble friend, Baroness Gale challenged me once again about when we will introduce section 106. We do have a commitment to do that, and I hope to be able to return to her with positive news about progress. My noble friend, Baroness Royall, though of course I identified as have others the challenge for women in public life now of abuse and intimidation. And I, having been part of it, recognise the work of the Jo Cox Foundation, which is enormously important in tackling that.
But it is all of our responsibility to make sure that our politics is carried out in a way that is respectful, recognises difference, but also recognises the strong motivations that bring people into politics and does not dissuade other women from coming into a life of politics. We are, of course, despite the progress that has been made still in the era of firsts. And can I particularly welcome the reference by the Right Reverend Prelate, the Bishop of Derby, to our first female Archbishop? And I know we all send her our very best wishes.
And the noble, the noble Lady. Baroness Morrissey also, of course, raised the challenge of the representation of women in business leadership, which, despite her leadership, still has much further to go. The Government's Women's Business Council, newly refreshed, is working on this area. There was a strong theme, international concern and work in the in the debate, particularly my noble friend Baroness Royal, the noble Lady, Baroness Sugg, the noble Lord, Lord Ahmed, the noble Lord, Lord Bates, the noble Lady, Baroness Bennett, the noble Lady, Baroness Hodgson, my noble friend, Baroness Brown, my noble friend Baroness Thornton and my noble friend Lord young.
Just to be clear on this, the UK will support women and girls internationally to lead and participate in economies and societies. We do champion the work of women's rights movements who are critical to achieving progress, and we are committed to eradicating gender based violence, including conflict related sexual violence. Technology facilitated violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage, and to deliver on the women, peace and security agenda on some of the specific points raised by noble Lords.
I can say that on sexual and reproductive health rights, we take action to advance that as a major donor through our diplomatic network and in collaboration with partners. In 2024, we supported UNFPA partnerships, which averted nearly 10 million unintended pregnancies, more than 200,000 maternal deaths and 3 million unsafe abortions. My noble friend Baroness Chapman is a She Decides champion and in November 2025 announced new UK commitments for family planning, aiming to make health and rights a reality for all in relation to preventing sexual violence in conflict.
In 2025, UK PSV programs supporting nearly 60,000 survivors of conflict related sexual violence. And we are working to refresh our approach to PSV from 2026 onwards. I recognise the issues raised by noble Lords about the reductions in overseas development aid, but we are committed to embedding equality meaningfully and we are retaining our gender equality target. For FCDO bilateral Oda programmes, and we will share details on strengthened measures for women and girls in due course.
Moving on to the issue of violence against women and girls. Another important theme can I, as others have thanked my noble friend, the noble Lady Baroness Casey, for her centering of the victims of violence against women in the debate today, and to the noble Lord, Lord Griffiths, for his personal story. We must acknowledge that there is still work to do in the area of violence against women and girls. It is a sad reality that women and girls don't always feel safe in the communities they've helped to build.
That is why it is a top priority for the government. And in December 2025, we publish our strategy, which sets out our mission to halve levels of these crimes within a decade. We'll go further than before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach. The strategy is backed by at least £1 billion of funding across government over the spending review period. And we will, of course, report back to this House on progress on it. I particularly thank my noble friend Baroness Nye for.
Raising and celebrating the role that Giselle Pellico has made in in her bravery in manifesting this this really important requirement to ensure that the blame for violence against women and the shame rests where it should do, which is with male perpetrators. But I also thank my noble friend Baroness Hyde for celebrating the campaigners and survivors who make such a difference in this area. My noble friend Baroness Chakrabarti rightly gave voice to Virginia Giuffre in the debate today and the noble Lady, Baroness Morrisey, I think as well, rightly raised issues around the influence of the powerful and rich men who, frankly, I've been shaken by the ability and propensity of them to get away with heinous crime.
And for this to go unchallenged, I have to say, including by other men alongside them for years on end. And this, I think, just ensures that we need to redouble our efforts both to tackle violence against women and girls where we find it, and to strengthen the voices of women and of male allies, to identify and tackle wholly unacceptable behaviour wherever it is. And one of the places, of course, as noble Lords, as my noble friend Baroness Goudie, the noble Lady, Baroness Smith of Lamb, vice, my noble friend Baroness Shah and the noble Lady Baroness Fall have identified is online.
And that's why the government's vawg strategy reaffirms the government's commitment to tackling violence online, including tackling intimate image abuse which disproportionately affects women and girls. The strategy includes a clear commitment on device level safety measures for children to support that mission. We want to make it impossible for children to take care of you and nude image. We are working constructively with companies to make that a reality. We announced in the broad strategy that we would legislate to ban notification apps, and the government is meeting this commitment and will legislate in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise, criminalise making, supplying or offering to supply tools which are designed to create non-consensual intimate images.
My noble friend Baroness Paul was right also to identify the need to support boys in how they respond to the very many misogynistic influences that they face. And that, of course, is why in the government's refreshed relationship, sex and health education guidance, we put a particular focus on how we challenge that and support teachers to challenge it in our schools. The UK also co-leads with Chile the 18 member Global Partnership on Gender based Online Abuse, and has expanded support for stop NCI, an international tool that helps victims block or remove intimate images along with other support internationally in this area.
And the noble Lady, Baroness Jenkins particularly raised the issue of pornography. The government is committed to ensuring online pornography is properly regulated. We want to thank Baroness Bertin for her continued commitment to driving forward that important work. We will, as part of the Vawg strategy, create a joint team to address the issues in Baroness Bertin's review. And I know discussions will continue in this House about what more we need to do in relation to legislation to challenge this issue.
My noble friend, Baroness O'Grady, my noble friend, Baroness Sha, the noble Lady Baroness Brady and the noble Lord Lord Taylor all raised the issue of the gender pay gap and the workplace. Women's equality and economic growth go hand in hand, but we need to ensure that every organisation is harnessing the talent, creativity and brilliance of women in their workforce. That's why, whilst we have seen some progress on the gender pay gap, we are committed to going further. The Chancellor has vowed to close the gender pay gap once for all, and we're all getting on with the work of making that a reality, including this week highlighting the commitment in the Employment Rights Act for businesses to develop action plans on the gender pay gap and menopause support in the workplace.
And in fact, of course, this landmark Employment Rights Act is a major step forward for women in terms of the gender pay gap and other areas of flexible working and tackling the sexual harassment that too many women have to put up with in the workplace. On the issue of health, my noble friend Baroness Nagrand and the noble Lady Baroness Sugg, raised that this government has already made significant progress to improve healthcare. We're renewing the Women's Health Strategy to assess the progress that's been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.
We will identify and remove enduring barriers to high quality care we have through women's. We have now got women's health hubs established in 1910, integrated care systems playing a role in shifting care out of hospital and reducing gynaecological gynaecology waiting lists. We've taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the elective reform plan, which supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostics. I do. I enjoyed the noble Lady, Baroness Davis's contribution on women and girls in sport, and thought she was very right about the on going challenge that we have.
We have today celebrated progress. We've identified where challenges remain in all of that progress. We couldn't do it without the support of many other women as business leaders, civil society educators, academics, campaigners and others both at home and abroad. And I want, as we finish this debate, to take a moment to thank them for their tireless efforts as well supporting women up and down the country and internationally to thrive.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
The question is that this motion be agreed to, as many of that opinion will say, content contrary,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
not content, the contents have it. My Lord. I move that the House do now.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
I move that the House do now. Adjourn that the House do now
As others have noticed, stopping errant nonsense from men in the Labour Party is a major contribution to political life and I really welcome, as others have, the conversion of her backroom influence to being a strong voice in this house. My noble friend, Baroness McLeod, drawing on her Scottish heritage, identifying the both the learning and the impact on her, on her political views from that, and also, of course, at the point at which I knew her better, her role as a journalist and as others have said, I think her contribution as poacher turned gamekeeper to our consideration about freedom of speech and the role of free journalism in this House will be important.
And of course, I was particularly proud to work with her during the last years of the last Labour government, and she is, as others have described her, stalwart and knowledgeable and will be a major asset to our house. My noble friend Baroness Martin and I do agree with the noble Lady, Baroness, Baron, that it was, it was it was just like her to focus as she did not on herself, but on the issues that the challenges that will motivate her.
But from her time at the Youth Justice Board, through her time as supporting within government, her work alongside our first female Chancellor of the Exchequer and her ongoing work with women in business, she will, I think, make a reality of the objectives that she set to ensure that we do all we can in this country, to make sure that background doesn't determine destination. And she will be she will have a major role to play in that. And my noble friend Baroness Paul telling us with great warmth about her, her family, I have no doubt, by the way, even if she doubted, if she doubted it, that she will do them extremely proud.
She has enormous energy. She has had the opportunity working both within the political sphere and then campaigning and lobbying, whether or not on national Citizenship Service or on issues around boys and radicalisation, as we've heard, that will make a major contribution to this House. The other amazing thing about this debate, of course, is identifies for us the diversity and range of women and the issues that they take up and that challenge them. So we've heard from the the noble Lady, Baroness Bloomfield, about the Welsh women that she celebrated from the noble Lady, Baroness Cahir, who made a strong argument both about the in representation of Muslim women, and also an argument that about the range of their voice, their breadth and their agency.
From my noble friend Baroness Hunter, my noble friend Viscount Stansgate, and the noble Lord Lord Patel, who focused on the contribution of women in science and engineering and what we need to do to ensure that continues. The noble Lady, Baroness Campbell, who did as she always does, ably represent and challenge us on the role of disabled women. And I do believe that my decision to make her chair of the Social Care Institute of Excellence was one of the better decisions I made as a Minister.
My noble friend, Baroness Carbery, talking about women in the military, both to ensure that we provide our thanks and recognition, but also to raise the injustices of some of the treatment that they experience. The noble Lady, Baroness Verma and the noble Lord Lord Taylor, who identified the intersectionality between race and sex, that sometimes that does cause specific issues and challenges for black and minority ethnic women. And my noble friend Baroness Gill, talking about the contribution of Sikh women, I will, in the time left, try to pick up some of the key themes and respond to points that have been raised.
Firstly, there was the the the issue of representation and voice where many noble Lords noted the progress that has been made in political representation in both of these houses, certainly since I was elected, when there were still only in 1997, where there was still only 18% of women in the House of Commons, but where, due to action actually across parties. Although I have to say, I'm particularly proud of Labour's commitment to all women shortlists, which was the basis for my selection and election.
We have seen a considerable growth and we do now have that over 40% of women in the House of Commons. And as my noble friend Baroness Cain also identified here in the Lords, a growing number of women, as we've seen in the quality of the debate this morning, I may I might just comment, given that the noble Lady, Baroness Burt, will be leaving us to thank her for her her role here, as she always does, and it demonstrates her commitment to women's representation throughout the whole of her distinguished career.
My noble friend, Baroness Gale challenged me once again about when we will introduce section 106. We do have a commitment to do that, and I hope to be able to return to her with positive news about progress. My noble friend, Baroness Royall, though of course I identified as have others the challenge for women in public life now of abuse and intimidation. And I, having been part of it, recognise the work of the Jo Cox Foundation, which is enormously important in tackling that.
But it is all of our responsibility to make sure that our politics is carried out in a way that is respectful, recognises difference, but also recognises the strong motivations that bring people into politics and does not dissuade other women from coming into a life of politics. We are, of course, despite the progress that has been made still in the era of firsts. And can I particularly welcome the reference by the Right Reverend Prelate, the Bishop of Derby, to our first female Archbishop? And I know we all send her our very best wishes.
And the noble, the noble Lady. Baroness Morrissey also, of course, raised the challenge of the representation of women in business leadership, which, despite her leadership, still has much further to go. The Government's Women's Business Council, newly refreshed, is working on this area. There was a strong theme, international concern and work in the in the debate, particularly my noble friend Baroness Royal, the noble Lady, Baroness Sugg, the noble Lord, Lord Ahmed, the noble Lord, Lord Bates, the noble Lady, Baroness Bennett, the noble Lady, Baroness Hodgson, my noble friend, Baroness Brown, my noble friend Baroness Thornton and my noble friend Lord young.
Just to be clear on this, the UK will support women and girls internationally to lead and participate in economies and societies. We do champion the work of women's rights movements who are critical to achieving progress, and we are committed to eradicating gender based violence, including conflict related sexual violence. Technology facilitated violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage, and to deliver on the women, peace and security agenda on some of the specific points raised by noble Lords.
I can say that on sexual and reproductive health rights, we take action to advance that as a major donor through our diplomatic network and in collaboration with partners. In 2024, we supported UNFPA partnerships, which averted nearly 10 million unintended pregnancies, more than 200,000 maternal deaths and 3 million unsafe abortions. My noble friend Baroness Chapman is a She Decides champion and in November 2025 announced new UK commitments for family planning, aiming to make health and rights a reality for all in relation to preventing sexual violence in conflict.
In 2025, UK PSV programs supporting nearly 60,000 survivors of conflict related sexual violence. And we are working to refresh our approach to PSV from 2026 onwards. I recognise the issues raised by noble Lords about the reductions in overseas development aid, but we are committed to embedding equality meaningfully and we are retaining our gender equality target. For FCDO bilateral Oda programmes, and we will share details on strengthened measures for women and girls in due course.
Moving on to the issue of violence against women and girls. Another important theme can I, as others have thanked my noble friend, the noble Lady Baroness Casey, for her centering of the victims of violence against women in the debate today, and to the noble Lord, Lord Griffiths, for his personal story. We must acknowledge that there is still work to do in the area of violence against women and girls. It is a sad reality that women and girls don't always feel safe in the communities they've helped to build.
That is why it is a top priority for the government. And in December 2025, we publish our strategy, which sets out our mission to halve levels of these crimes within a decade. We'll go further than before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach. The strategy is backed by at least £1 billion of funding across government over the spending review period. And we will, of course, report back to this House on progress on it. I particularly thank my noble friend Baroness Nye for.
Raising and celebrating the role that Giselle Pellico has made in in her bravery in manifesting this this really important requirement to ensure that the blame for violence against women and the shame rests where it should do, which is with male perpetrators. But I also thank my noble friend Baroness Hyde for celebrating the campaigners and survivors who make such a difference in this area. My noble friend Baroness Chakrabarti rightly gave voice to Virginia Giuffre in the debate today and the noble Lady, Baroness Morrisey, I think as well, rightly raised issues around the influence of the powerful and rich men who, frankly, I've been shaken by the ability and propensity of them to get away with heinous crime.
And for this to go unchallenged, I have to say, including by other men alongside them for years on end. And this, I think, just ensures that we need to redouble our efforts both to tackle violence against women and girls where we find it, and to strengthen the voices of women and of male allies, to identify and tackle wholly unacceptable behaviour wherever it is. And one of the places, of course, as noble Lords, as my noble friend Baroness Goudie, the noble Lady, Baroness Smith of Lamb, vice, my noble friend Baroness Shah and the noble Lady Baroness Fall have identified is online.
And that's why the government's vawg strategy reaffirms the government's commitment to tackling violence online, including tackling intimate image abuse which disproportionately affects women and girls. The strategy includes a clear commitment on device level safety measures for children to support that mission. We want to make it impossible for children to take care of you and nude image. We are working constructively with companies to make that a reality. We announced in the broad strategy that we would legislate to ban notification apps, and the government is meeting this commitment and will legislate in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise, criminalise making, supplying or offering to supply tools which are designed to create non-consensual intimate images.
My noble friend Baroness Paul was right also to identify the need to support boys in how they respond to the very many misogynistic influences that they face. And that, of course, is why in the government's refreshed relationship, sex and health education guidance, we put a particular focus on how we challenge that and support teachers to challenge it in our schools. The UK also co-leads with Chile the 18 member Global Partnership on Gender based Online Abuse, and has expanded support for stop NCI, an international tool that helps victims block or remove intimate images along with other support internationally in this area.
And the noble Lady, Baroness Jenkins particularly raised the issue of pornography. The government is committed to ensuring online pornography is properly regulated. We want to thank Baroness Bertin for her continued commitment to driving forward that important work. We will, as part of the Vawg strategy, create a joint team to address the issues in Baroness Bertin's review. And I know discussions will continue in this House about what more we need to do in relation to legislation to challenge this issue.
My noble friend, Baroness O'Grady, my noble friend, Baroness Sha, the noble Lady Baroness Brady and the noble Lord Lord Taylor all raised the issue of the gender pay gap and the workplace. Women's equality and economic growth go hand in hand, but we need to ensure that every organisation is harnessing the talent, creativity and brilliance of women in their workforce. That's why, whilst we have seen some progress on the gender pay gap, we are committed to going further. The Chancellor has vowed to close the gender pay gap once for all, and we're all getting on with the work of making that a reality, including this week highlighting the commitment in the Employment Rights Act for businesses to develop action plans on the gender pay gap and menopause support in the workplace.
And in fact, of course, this landmark Employment Rights Act is a major step forward for women in terms of the gender pay gap and other areas of flexible working and tackling the sexual harassment that too many women have to put up with in the workplace. On the issue of health, my noble friend Baroness Nagrand and the noble Lady Baroness Sugg, raised that this government has already made significant progress to improve healthcare. We're renewing the Women's Health Strategy to assess the progress that's been made so far and to continue progressing delivery.
We will identify and remove enduring barriers to high quality care we have through women's. We have now got women's health hubs established in 1910, integrated care systems playing a role in shifting care out of hospital and reducing gynaecological gynaecology waiting lists. We've taken urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the elective reform plan, which supports innovative models offering patients care closer to home and piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostics. I do. I enjoyed the noble Lady, Baroness Davis's contribution on women and girls in sport, and thought she was very right about the on going challenge that we have.
We have today celebrated progress. We've identified where challenges remain in all of that progress. We couldn't do it without the support of many other women as business leaders, civil society educators, academics, campaigners and others both at home and abroad. And I want, as we finish this debate, to take a moment to thank them for their tireless efforts as well supporting women up and down the country and internationally to thrive.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
The question is that this motion be agreed to, as many of that opinion will say, content contrary,
**** Possible New Speaker ****
not content, the contents have it. My Lord. I move that the House do now.
**** Possible New Speaker ****
I move that the House do now. Adjourn that the House do now