International Women’s Day

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Thursday 6th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, I support the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, and congratulate her on being made Minister for Women and Equalities in addition to her other activities. I know that she will be fantastic on this issue. I also congratulate my colleagues on their maiden speeches today—in particular my two good friends, my noble friends Lady Alexander and Lady Hunter. It is not that the others are not my friends, but I have known those two for a lifetime. They are my friends and they know all my bad points; they all have good points, but they have known me too long.

I declare an interest relevant to today’s debate, in that I am a founder and member of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and an activist in Global Women Asia, which I helped to found, and which, among other things, represents women engineers who work in AI and other areas. It has now been going for about three years.

Turning to International Women’s Day, I congratulate everyone on this great day and I hope we will have more speakers next year from around the House, celebrating the initiatives that enhance women’s participation and leadership in science and technology, both in the United Kingdom and around the world. This occasion is not only a celebration of achievement but a reminder of the critical role women play in securing peace and shaping the future, especially as we transition into the AI age.

For centuries, women have been the bedrock of peaceful communities, acting as mediators, caregivers and advocates of justice and inclusion. Their involvement in peace processes has been shown to result in more durable and sustainable peace. In conflict zones across the globe, women are increasingly taking on roles traditionally reserved for men. They are clearing landmines, neutralising unexploded bombs and destroying weapons. Women are instrumental in helping communities recover and rebuild following the devastation of war. Their roles as peacebuilders, decision-makers, wage-earners and caregivers demonstrate that when women lead, peace is more resilient.

At the same time, we are witnessing a transformation in technology. Digital and AI innovations are reshaping every aspect of our lives: from the way we communicate to how Governments serve their citizens. Yet, as these systems grow ever more influential, there is a danger that they might perpetuate biases if not designed with care. It is imperative, therefore, that women are not merely participants but the engineers and architects of this digital revolution. Their insights, honed through diverse lived experiences, are essential in ensuring that technology systems are fair and serve all citizens equally.

Consider the pioneering work of Dr Joy Buolamwini at MIT Media Lab, whose research on algorithmic bias has exposed how technology can inadvertently reinforce gender and racial prejudices. Similarly, the work of Kate Crawford in critically assessing the societal impacts of machine learning has challenged us to rethink our ethical frameworks. Here in the United Kingdom, leaders such as Dame Wendy Hall have been at the forefront of promoting inclusivity in computer science, laying a strong foundation for a digital future that reflects our shared values.

The statistics underscore the urgency of our mission. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, as analysed by the Government, shows that while men dominate most STEM subjects in higher education, women lead in natural sciences, psychology, medicine, dentistry and allied medical subjects. Yet women are less likely than men to start an apprenticeship in STEM fields. Engineering UK analysis of Department for Education data reveals that women account for just 17% of engineering and technology-related apprenticeship starts in England. We must put more pressure on schools to tell more pupils about STEM, and have more visits to schools from people from these backgrounds, through Speakers for Schools and other organisations, including the education organisation in this House. This is vital. That 17% figure compares to 52% across all subjects. UNESCO’s figures for 2016-18 indicate that women represented 28% of engineering, manufacturing and construction graduates and 30% of ICT graduates, compared with 57% in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics. Furthermore, STEM Women highlights how the lack of representation of women in STEM higher education impacts the workforce, and it calls for more initiatives to encourage women to study STEM, transition into the workforce and emerge as future leaders.

The rapid progression of technology offers a unique opportunity to level the playing field. Digital platforms and AI can dismantle traditional barriers, broadening access to education, employment and civic engagement. In every community, from conflict zones to urban centres, women have shown exceptional resilience and an innate ability to foster dialogue and empathy. Their participation in building the digital future not only enhances innovation but ensures that the systems they create are both equitable and compassionate.

In conclusion, promoting women’s leadership in science and technology is not merely an issue of equality; it is essential for peace, justice and prosperity. As we stand on the threshold of the AI age, we must commit to a future where both men and women co-design the digital world. The House must champion policies that foster gender equality in every sphere of innovation, ensuring that the benefits of technological progress are shared by all.

Gender Pay Gap

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Tuesday 27th February 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

My noble friend is absolutely right. Part of that is about the time it takes for working parents to get back into the workforce. Our commitments—starting this April and building up, so that there will be 30 hours of free childcare for every family with a child nine months old and above—will be crucial for achieving that.

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

There is mandatory reporting —although there needs to be more—but when are the Government going to get tougher about taking proceedings against companies that do not report in their annual report or ensure that the Equal Pay Act is committed to? No companies are really being taken to court on this issue, so the Government need to step up on this.

[Baroness Barran (Con)]

I am more than happy to take that back to the department. The mandatory reporting applies to companies with more than 250 employees. I was not aware of the cases that the noble Baroness refers to, but I am happy to pick that up.

Early Years Education

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Thursday 30th November 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Andrews for bringing this crucial topic to the House. It is vital that this Government think seriously about early education and implement strategies to mitigate the awful reductions in education attainment across the whole spectrum of school age groups, made significantly worse since the Covid-19 pandemic.

We all know that a child, even before it is born, can feel a whole lot of aspects that are going on through its mother’s womb, including violence and calmness. So when the child is born, it is absolutely vital that it starts to have early education, including in the home. That is why Sure Start projects should be reinstated, so that mothers, fathers or carers can take children to groups to start them being social at a very early age and so that they learn to share, talk and behave and learn all the aspects that my noble friend spoke about earlier through apps and so on. I am very pleased about her lecture; I will send it on to others, as many parents and care workers need to know about that. I thank her so much.

Why are early years important? When discussing childhood education, preschool often gets relegated to the sidelines, as if it were somehow of secondary importance compared with primary and secondary schooling. Pre-education gives the ground rules and start to every child. We like to say that every child is born equal, but if they are not having preschool and that sort of help in the home and outside, they will be losing already. If we look at how children develop—and, importantly, when they develop—we may become inclined to pay a little more attention to this overlooked phase of our children’s development journey.

The simple fact is that early years education tremendously impacts on lifelong achievements. The majority of all development occurs during the very first years in this world, and 85% of our language is cemented before the age of five. I can tell that with young children around me. That is even more so these days, when it is even quicker; for some reason, they grasp things much faster. Between the ages of 18 months and five years, a child goes from knowing approximately 50 words to using around 2,000 and understanding some 5,000 more. This kind of rapid development happens at no other time during our lives, and the same pattern of booming cognitive ability happens in other areas, too, including physical, psycho-emotional and cognitive ability. All these skills are the foundations that later learning and development are built on. That is why we have to invest more. If a child has encountered disadvantages during this time, this has already had an effect.

According to the Times Education Commission,

“40 per cent of the attainment gap that can be seen at the age of 16 is already in place before those children even start school”.

So a bad start at an early age can never be made up; we know that education cannot be made up for those children who start school as late as five. The commission states:

“A child’s development score as young at 22 months is”


the

“predictor of where they will be educationally at the age of 26”.

That is very frightening, but we know that it is the truth.

Often, the entire process has occurred before a child has encountered a teacher. The importance of properly funded, well-trained and well-staffed preschool education has gone entirely amiss under this Government. The decision to increase staff-to-child ratios in early years settings sends a clear signal, because children need people to look after them. You cannot increase how many children the teacher or carer will look after; we should decrease the number of children they have to look after, so that the children can get much more attention. This is sending a clear signal that, instead of giving the sector the much-needed investment it needs, they would rather lower the standards of care available—at the moment of a child’s life that is arguably the most important.

Another important issue with going to childcare or nursery schools is food. We know that a child and its brain cannot function without food—we have to understand this. It is vital that we provide more breakfast clubs, so that children get food when they go to nursery. Those who cannot afford that should be given free food. Also, we should have free school meals, including during the holidays, which is a very difficult time. This will affect the generations to come and we will not be a country that is fast flowing if we do not invest in our young people from the very beginning.

These decisions on the quality of preschool education affect not only the child’s attainment but the economy and our society at large. The Times estimated that, for every £1 spent on early education, £13 would be saved later. That is not a lot of money when added up over a long time. The money will be saved later in a child’s life in education, catch-up interventions and, more importantly, mental health and health. Research from the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education project showed that children who attend preschool have better education and social outcomes at the end of primary and secondary education, and have higher GCSE scores and the potential for higher earnings.

I come to Covid and post-pandemic changes to early years education. For children, we can even say that the pandemic is not fully over. They continue to be impacted by the effects of lockdown measures, and it is still difficult to ascertain just how harmful the pandemic period has been on their development. That applies in particular to those who were locked in high-rise flats with nowhere to turn, who had balconies but could not go out on them because it was unsafe and who received no education, with no way of ascertaining anything with regard to preschool.

During the first national lockdown, early years settings experienced partial closures, permitting only children of key workers and those considered vulnerable. Who decides whether a child is vulnerable? A child can be vulnerable in a rich family or a poor family—all sorts of factors determine that decision. Despite subsequent lockdowns allowing preschools to remain open in many circumstances, statistics released by the Department for Education in December 2021 highlighted that attendance levels had not reverted to their pre-pandemic status. We see that today with children who are not attending school, and the numbers of those who are not attending preschool are even worse. Parents are keeping children at home because of costs, but that is damaging that child beyond damage. Consequent numbers of children have missed out on valuable guidance from early years practitioners.

Families continue to grapple with the challenge of balancing childcare alongside remote work, health concerns and the cost of living crisis, which has meant that many cannot afford full-time preschool. That is why we have to have nursery schools attached to schools; regardless of the cost, this is vital to the country. Additionally, a report from the Children’s Commissioner has revealed that a substantial number of children endured adverse circumstances during lockdown, including experiences of poverty, exposure to domestic violence, parental mental health challenges, instances of parental abuse and even more violence.

Early years education needs to be taken as seriously and given as much time and attention as primary and secondary education. The early years education system needs reform, and quickly, if barriers to entry are going to be broken, especially if they exist alongside the wealth divide. We must place more nurseries in primary schools and integrate early years into the more formal education sector. This would not only help bring down costs for parents of young children and babies but would also help to standardise and improve the levels of care and education delivered at a young age.

Early years educators should be on the same pay scale as primary educators, and more teaching graduates need to be brought into the profession and encouraged. Our early years facilities are closing down at alarming rates, and educators are leaving the field en masse. Much of this issue stems from early years underfunding and undercaring, and the idea that this area does not matter, and children can go to school at five but not before—that is it. The Government, and any Government after them, must put investment in the early years education sector central to any long-term strategy for education.

I will say a word about families and children of refugees in this country. Many families have come to this country not as refugees but sometimes because they have been displaced by war or climate change. Those children should be in school and should have the advantage of preschool as well; over the years they have and they have not. These are the future generations and it is about our soft power; they may decide to stay here or to go elsewhere, but we need to take care of those families properly because they will be our partners as the world goes further.

I come back to say that, when you are thinking about moving refugee families, think about the children’s education, including their preschool education, and their health. That is vital; otherwise, it will cost those families, the country and the world much more. We should take that more into consideration when we are moving children of refugees abruptly.

Universal Credit: Free School Meals

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Thursday 21st February 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

I heartily agree with the noble Lord. It is an extraordinary conundrum that you pay just as much in a supermarket for that thin stuff with the red top as for full-fat milk.

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, the Minister seems to forget that children are the future of this country. He hides behind the statistics. We should give free school meals to many more children than at present and help children to get those meals at a much younger age, perhaps even when they are nursery. If they are not fed properly now, they will not become healthy adults.

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

My Lords, I can only come back to my earlier answers. Over the past eight years we have dramatically increased the number of children benefiting from free school meals, and are now spending £600 million to ensure that infant free school meals are widely available. That has a take-up of more than 86%.