International Women’s Day

Baroness Nye Excerpts

Wednesday 5th March 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Nye]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)]

On International Women’s Day, and in fact on every day of the year, this Government are accelerating action under our Plan for Change to put more money in the pockets of working women and create more opportunity in the workplace and to ensure that women are safe on our streets and in their communities. We will be calling on employers to take action to help tackle the barriers that still prevent too many women from succeeding in the workplace. All government departments have a key role to play in delivering our key mission for equality.

[Baroness Nye (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. The House will know that it is now 50 years since the Equal Pay Act was implemented, but recent figures from the PwC index of OECD countries show that the UK has the lowest ranking for a decade and on that trend it will take another 50 years to achieve equality. Does the Minister agree that one of the most important ways to promote economic growth is to accelerate action to close the gender pay gap?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for all the work that she has done in this area over many years. This Government are committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. We will make the right to equal pay effective by putting in place measures to ensure that outsourcing of services can no longer be used by employers to avoid paying equal pay, and we will implement a regulatory and enforcement unit for equal pay. My noble friend is right about the importance of closing the gender pay gap, which is why, as part of the Employment Rights Bill, we are taking the first steps towards requiring large employers to produce action plans covering steps they are taking on the gender pay gap and menopause support.