08/03/2018

0:00:00 > 0:00:02victims, but also to the families around than who must be having such

0:00:02 > 0:00:10a worried and anxious time right now.Audit. Point of order, Yvette

0:00:10 > 0:00:15Cooper.Thank you. Can you advise on the course of action when a private

0:00:15 > 0:00:20company gives commitments and assurances to Parliament and its

0:00:20 > 0:00:22select committees on issues that affect national security and public

0:00:22 > 0:00:28safety and then fails to meet them? There is widely available on YouTube

0:00:28 > 0:00:38this week the band illegal propaganda videos from the extremist

0:00:38 > 0:00:40prescribed organisation National action. Despite the fact this video

0:00:40 > 0:00:44has been raised with YouTube and Google seven times by the select

0:00:44 > 0:00:49committee over the past 12 months, despite the fact they have promised

0:00:49 > 0:00:52us that that video is illegal and will be taken down and they would

0:00:52 > 0:00:56have the technology to prevent it being put back up, have you had any

0:00:56 > 0:01:01indication that the government will look into this? And do you share my

0:01:01 > 0:01:05immense concern that this was one of the richest companies in the world

0:01:05 > 0:01:10and is failing to meet its basic responsibilities to tackle extremism

0:01:10 > 0:01:15and protect public safety in this country?Grateful to the right

0:01:15 > 0:01:19honourable lady for her point of order and I share her intense

0:01:19 > 0:01:24concern on the matter. National Action is, as I'm sure everyone in

0:01:24 > 0:01:32the house will agree, a despicable fascist neo-Nazi organisation. My

0:01:32 > 0:01:37understanding is that it has been proscribed. It was prescribed by the

0:01:37 > 0:01:42Home Secretary. If those commitments had been made, they must be

0:01:42 > 0:01:46honoured. The right honourable lady suggested that commitments had been

0:01:46 > 0:01:52given by those companies, not merely to her as an individual, but perhaps

0:01:52 > 0:01:56to the home affairs select committee. If that is so, and those

0:01:56 > 0:02:02commitments have not been honoured, it is open to the committee, but it

0:02:02 > 0:02:09should not be necessary for the committee to demand, as a matter of

0:02:09 > 0:02:11urgency, the appearance of representatives of one or more of

0:02:11 > 0:02:18those companies before it to explain itself. This matter must be sorted

0:02:18 > 0:02:23sooner rather than later, and my strong sense is that that would be

0:02:23 > 0:02:27the will of the house, but I think that the will of the house can also

0:02:27 > 0:02:32be expressed on the public audit considerations can most

0:02:32 > 0:02:35appropriately be articulated by the Home Secretary who thankfully is in

0:02:35 > 0:02:41her place.Just briefly, if I may, the Right honourable lady is

0:02:41 > 0:02:45absolutely right to raise this issue. National Action, as you

0:02:45 > 0:02:52rightly said, is a prescribed group. I prescribed it myself. It is a

0:02:52 > 0:02:54terrorist organisation. The fact is Internet companies have made good

0:02:54 > 0:03:02progress in taking down Daesh book is material and we have demonstrated

0:03:02 > 0:03:05they can take down with our own system, we've shown 94% of material

0:03:05 > 0:03:11that goes up from Daesh rote type organisations, but we need to see

0:03:11 > 0:03:15much more effort into the particular area of the extreme right wing

0:03:15 > 0:03:19groups like the honourable lady has raised. We need to see more effort

0:03:19 > 0:03:23by using artificial intelligence and I hope the right honourable lady can

0:03:23 > 0:03:29work with me to make sure we hold them all to account.I'm grateful.

0:03:29 > 0:03:33We would not want a situation to arise in which the right honourable

0:03:33 > 0:03:39lady felt it necessary to write to me alleging a contempt of the house.

0:03:39 > 0:03:48That is a recourse open to her, of course, if people do not comply and

0:03:48 > 0:03:50do not under their undertakings. We very much hope that will happen

0:03:50 > 0:04:00very, very soon. Thank you.On a point of order, today we've had

0:04:00 > 0:04:06reports in the media that one in ten councils could follow Tory

0:04:06 > 0:04:09Northamptonshire into technical bankruptcy according to the National

0:04:09 > 0:04:14Audit Office. The main causes are the relentless 50% cuts in central

0:04:14 > 0:04:19government funding to councils and the increasing pressures on

0:04:19 > 0:04:22children's and adult services, resulting in the cutting of other

0:04:22 > 0:04:26vital services. The unsustainable one off sales of assets and the use

0:04:26 > 0:04:31of reserves. Given this is the worst crisis facing local government in

0:04:31 > 0:04:37the sector's 170 year history, and given the government is unwilling

0:04:37 > 0:04:43and unprepared to give time to the opposition to debate matters like

0:04:43 > 0:04:47this, as the secretary of state given you, sir, any indication that

0:04:47 > 0:04:52he will come to the house today to make a statement so that members can

0:04:52 > 0:04:58question his disastrous splash and burn strategy and the findings of

0:04:58 > 0:05:02this most devastating National Audit Office report in the fullest manner

0:05:02 > 0:05:09possible?He has given me no such indication and I must say to the

0:05:09 > 0:05:12honourable gentleman that the secretary of state is a very willing

0:05:12 > 0:05:19fellow but we wouldn't in any way or case want to countenance the idea of

0:05:19 > 0:05:23him interfering with the time available for the debate about

0:05:23 > 0:05:26International Women's Day. However he has registered his concern, which

0:05:26 > 0:05:30will have been heard on the Treasury bench, and I note what he says about

0:05:30 > 0:05:36the absence of opposition supply days at the moment which would be a

0:05:36 > 0:05:40normal mechanism by which such matters could be out. If he and his

0:05:40 > 0:05:44colleagues want such matters to be aired in the chamber, he can rest

0:05:44 > 0:05:48assured that they will be aired will stop they can be aired on the terms

0:05:48 > 0:05:52of the secretary of state in the form of a statements, which would be

0:05:52 > 0:05:57open to him to volunteer, but if they are not aired in that way, they

0:05:57 > 0:06:04will be aired in another way. If there are no further point of order,

0:06:04 > 0:06:08I'm grateful. We come to the presentation of Bill. Christine

0:06:08 > 0:06:22Jardine. Second reading, what day? June 15.June 15, thank you. Order.

0:06:22 > 0:06:32Presentation of Bill, Chris Green. Forensic science regulator Bill.

0:06:32 > 0:06:41What day?Friday 16th of March. Friday 16th March, thank you. Thank

0:06:41 > 0:06:46you, colleagues. We now come to the general debate relating to Vote 100

0:06:46 > 0:06:51and International Women's Day will stop its a busy day for the Home

0:06:51 > 0:06:55Secretary, but for these purposes more particularly for the Minister

0:06:55 > 0:07:05for women and equality who will move. Amber Rudd.I beg to move that

0:07:05 > 0:07:09this house welcomes International Women's Day. As an occasion to come

0:07:09 > 0:07:14together to celebrate the achievements of women whilst also

0:07:14 > 0:07:19recognising the inequalities that still exist. Across the world,

0:07:19 > 0:07:23International Women's Day is being marked with arts performances,

0:07:23 > 0:07:27talks, rallies, conferences, marches and debates like this one. It is a

0:07:27 > 0:07:32great honour to be leading today's debate. 2018 is a particularly

0:07:32 > 0:07:35significant here to be having this discussion in the UK, as we mark 100

0:07:35 > 0:07:41years since some women won the right to vote after a long and arduous

0:07:41 > 0:07:46struggle. In 1919, Nancy Astor became the first women to take a

0:07:46 > 0:07:49seat in the house. Can you imagine walking into this chamber as the

0:07:49 > 0:07:56loan woman amongst a crowd of men? It wouldn't be until 1979 that we

0:07:56 > 0:08:03would get our first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

0:08:03 > 0:08:07The Parliament I joined in 2010 was a different place to the Parliament

0:08:07 > 0:08:12of Nancy Astor's day. There were 142 other female MPs on the benches and

0:08:12 > 0:08:18we had a female Home Secretary, a trend I am proud to continue, and we

0:08:18 > 0:08:22now have a more diverse Parliament than ever with 208 female MPs, a

0:08:22 > 0:08:28third of the Cabinet are women and we also have our second female Prime

0:08:28 > 0:08:31Minister. But getting women into Parliament isn't simply about

0:08:31 > 0:08:36changing the faces on these benches. At its heart, it's about how we use

0:08:36 > 0:08:40our position is here to make meaningful change to women's lives

0:08:40 > 0:08:45across the UK and the world because from here, we can bring about real

0:08:45 > 0:08:52change. I give way to the honourable lady.I am grateful. I want to join

0:08:52 > 0:08:57her in bottling International Women's Day and the fact that the

0:08:57 > 0:09:02commission on the status of women is meeting again in New York next week

0:09:02 > 0:09:05and which she agreed that it's really important that it comes up

0:09:05 > 0:09:12with strong policies so that women in rural communities are adequately

0:09:12 > 0:09:17supported?I would like to agree with her that the meeting on the

0:09:17 > 0:09:20commission for women is going to be important and her emphasis on making

0:09:20 > 0:09:24sure that we get real policies for women in rural communities is also

0:09:24 > 0:09:30essential. I am proud to be part of a Government that has wholeheartedly

0:09:30 > 0:09:35committed to improving the lives of women and girls. Since 2010, we have

0:09:35 > 0:09:40made significant progress to excel a gender equality at home and abroad.

0:09:40 > 0:09:44Whether this is by empowering women in the workplace, tackling violence

0:09:44 > 0:09:51against women and girls on improving girls education across the globe.

0:09:51 > 0:09:56There is much more to do. Sexual harassment scandals, stories of

0:09:56 > 0:10:01debauched dinners, one third of women worldwide experiencing

0:10:01 > 0:10:04physical or sexual violence and an estimated 118 years to close the

0:10:04 > 0:10:10global gender pay gap. As the theme for this year's International

0:10:10 > 0:10:15Women's Day makes clear, we must continue to press for progress. This

0:10:15 > 0:10:19effort must disband countries and continents, policy areas and

0:10:19 > 0:10:25political allegiances -- this effort must span countries. I want about

0:10:25 > 0:10:28three areas where women are losing out to men globally and what we're

0:10:28 > 0:10:32going to do about it. The first is violence. Too many women and girls

0:10:32 > 0:10:36face harm and abuse. The second is money, more women still earn less

0:10:36 > 0:10:42than their male counterparts do. The third is influence. I run the world,

0:10:42 > 0:10:50men still occupy the majority of the top jobs. -- around the world.

0:10:50 > 0:10:53Violence, a truly equal society is one where everyone is free from the

0:10:53 > 0:10:58threat of gendered violence and today I am proud to announce the

0:10:58 > 0:11:01launch of the Government's consultation into tackling domestic

0:11:01 > 0:11:06abuse. This consultation will help inform the introduction of the

0:11:06 > 0:11:11domestic abuse Bill. We know that domestic abuse affects approximately

0:11:11 > 0:11:152 million people in England and Wales every year and the majority of

0:11:15 > 0:11:20these victims are women. This Government is determined to do all

0:11:20 > 0:11:24we can to confront the devastating impact that this has on victims and

0:11:24 > 0:11:31their families and in doing so, address a key cause of gender

0:11:31 > 0:11:35inequality. Our consultation seeks to transform our approach to

0:11:35 > 0:11:39domestic abuse, addressing the issue at every stage from prevention to

0:11:39 > 0:11:43early intervention to bringing more perpetrators to justice. It

0:11:43 > 0:11:49reinforces our determination to make domestic abuse everyone's business.

0:11:49 > 0:11:53This comprehensive consultation will last for 12 weeks and I encourage

0:11:53 > 0:11:56every member of the House to engage with it and shaded with those in

0:11:56 > 0:12:01their networks who have or should have an interest in this area. Share

0:12:01 > 0:12:06it with those in their networks. This is an opportunity to bring

0:12:06 > 0:12:12those crimes out of the shadows.The Minister will know that last week

0:12:12 > 0:12:15the United Nations commission on discrimination against women said

0:12:15 > 0:12:18that how we treat women in Northern Ireland by denying them access to

0:12:18 > 0:12:25abortion in their formation is a form of violence against women.

0:12:25 > 0:12:29Today, 135 parliamentarians across the House have written to her,

0:12:29 > 0:12:31asking with another deflation to commit to providing an opportunity

0:12:31 > 0:12:39to put that right. Will she give women in Northern Ireland equal

0:12:39 > 0:12:49opportunities government access to abortion rights?I thank her for the

0:12:49 > 0:12:53good work she has done in this area and the good work she has done to

0:12:53 > 0:12:56make sure that for the first time, women in Northern Ireland have

0:12:56 > 0:13:02access to abortions and we now have a new system, a centralised system

0:13:02 > 0:13:07for those women who can find it much easier than they ever have before to

0:13:07 > 0:13:11access that health support that I know she thinks as I do is so vital

0:13:11 > 0:13:17going forward. On the consultation, it will last for 12 weeks and I urge

0:13:17 > 0:13:23every member of the House to engage with it because domestic violence

0:13:23 > 0:13:29isn't the only type of violence which demands are urgent attention.

0:13:29 > 0:13:32Internationally, we must continue to combat violence against women and

0:13:32 > 0:13:36girls. Globally, one in three women are beaten or sexually abused in a

0:13:36 > 0:13:42lifetime. We are generating world leading evidence through our £25

0:13:42 > 0:13:46million what works to prevent violence against women and girls

0:13:46 > 0:13:51programme. This year resulted in 15 intervention is being evaluated

0:13:51 > 0:13:55across Africa and Asia. It will provide new global evidence about

0:13:55 > 0:14:00what works to stop violence before it starts. We want is evidence to be

0:14:00 > 0:14:04a game changer in supporting more effective UK and international

0:14:04 > 0:14:11support for ending violence against women and girls globally. It is

0:14:11 > 0:14:15essential that we put what we learned into practice.I welcome the

0:14:15 > 0:14:19announcement she is making about the international dimension to

0:14:19 > 0:14:24protecting women against violence. Can she ensure the House that as

0:14:24 > 0:14:27part of consultation on violence against women here at that refugees

0:14:27 > 0:14:35are probably resourced -- refuges? Many have closed down in my

0:14:35 > 0:14:38constituency and women need proper support when they have to go to

0:14:38 > 0:14:41refuges because they have faced violence. Can she assure the House

0:14:41 > 0:14:46that will happen?I can assure the House that making sure that women

0:14:46 > 0:14:52have the right support at refuges is an essential part of the support we

0:14:52 > 0:14:56will provide for women when they become victims of domestic abuse.

0:14:56 > 0:15:00There are concerns in the sector about how those will be funded and

0:15:00 > 0:15:04there is a consultation on going but we will not oversee a reduction in

0:15:04 > 0:15:10beds. We are looking for the most efficient, effective way of

0:15:10 > 0:15:20delivering that support and nothing is off the table.I think probably

0:15:20 > 0:15:23we were all shocked across this House when we heard of the reports

0:15:23 > 0:15:30of sexual harassment and abuse in the aid sector. When we are looking

0:15:30 > 0:15:34at what happens to women internationally, it's very important

0:15:34 > 0:15:39that we hold our charitable organisations and charities feet to

0:15:39 > 0:15:43the fire in tackling the abuse that is being reported. How does she

0:15:43 > 0:15:51propose that we can ensure and trustees organisations to deal with

0:15:51 > 0:15:57the allegations of sexual exploitation in the aid sector?My

0:15:57 > 0:16:05honourable friend will have heard the member for Portsmouth in her

0:16:05 > 0:16:08conviction and determination to make sure that she holds the charitable

0:16:08 > 0:16:13sectors feet to the fire. It is a wholly unacceptable that anybody

0:16:13 > 0:16:18going out for a charity should take any advantage from vulnerable girls

0:16:18 > 0:16:22and women in the sector. I am confident in my honourable friend

0:16:22 > 0:16:27for Portsmouth's activity in this area. The second area I wanted to

0:16:27 > 0:16:31discuss his money. A truly equal society is also one where women and

0:16:31 > 0:16:38men are equally economically empowered. Globally, women are less,

0:16:38 > 0:16:44have fewer assets and do 60 to 80% of unpaid domestic work. One in ten

0:16:44 > 0:16:48money women in developing countries are not consulted by their husbands

0:16:48 > 0:16:52on how their incomes are spent and in the UK, we are enjoying record

0:16:52 > 0:16:58female employment but we are also facing a national gender pay gap of

0:16:58 > 0:17:0580%. -- 18%. We might have equality in the workplace but paycheques are

0:17:05 > 0:17:08telling a different story. That's why the Government hasn't a just

0:17:08 > 0:17:17world leading legislation.Does she not agree that this is not a matter

0:17:17 > 0:17:20of social equality but also for economic equality, bearing in mind

0:17:20 > 0:17:26that the estimate this week, if we close the gender pay gap, it would

0:17:26 > 0:17:29mean an extra £90 billion going into the income of women and that is a

0:17:29 > 0:17:34staggering figure will reflect on what that means for how women are

0:17:34 > 0:17:42being kept putter as a result of the pay gap -- get poorer.It is not

0:17:42 > 0:17:46about the individual women and individual family, it is also about

0:17:46 > 0:17:49the country as a whole. If we can raise pay anyway that is there,

0:17:49 > 0:17:54it'll be good for the economy of the country so that is why we have

0:17:54 > 0:17:56introduced a world leading legislation requiring organisations

0:17:56 > 0:18:02with over 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap by the end of

0:18:02 > 0:18:07this tax year and I want businesses to have their pay gaps laid bare and

0:18:07 > 0:18:20then to do something about it.She will have read in the press some

0:18:20 > 0:18:24speculation that organisations may be flouting the gender pay gap

0:18:24 > 0:18:27reporting regulations that this Government has rightly brought in.

0:18:27 > 0:18:30Could she outline to the House what action the Government will be taking

0:18:30 > 0:18:35to make sure that businesses to take this very seriously indeed?I thank

0:18:35 > 0:18:40my honourable friend who has done such important work in this area.

0:18:40 > 0:18:44She will know that it was a manifesto commitment to bring this

0:18:44 > 0:18:49foreword. It is the law and we will be making sure that companies do

0:18:49 > 0:18:54stick to it. They abide by it and deliver it and then hopefully they

0:18:54 > 0:18:59will make changes on it. Equality is not just about getting women the

0:18:59 > 0:19:05same pay as men, it's about getting women the same jobs as men too. I

0:19:05 > 0:19:09have lost track of the number of meetings I have sat in with I am the

0:19:09 > 0:19:14only woman at the table. I expect I am not the only one. Women are still

0:19:14 > 0:19:19underrepresented in a range of fields from politics to business and

0:19:19 > 0:19:24particularly at the top. We have made good progress since 2010 and

0:19:24 > 0:19:35have eliminated all male boards in the FTSE 100 but only a quarter of

0:19:35 > 0:19:39directorships and CEOs are women and this is not good enough. It is bad

0:19:39 > 0:19:42economics, too. We know that organisations with the highest

0:19:42 > 0:19:48levels of gender diversity in the leadership teams are 15% more likely

0:19:48 > 0:19:51to outperform their industry rivals so we must think long and hard about

0:19:51 > 0:19:55what we need to do to improve these statistics. I am pleased to

0:19:55 > 0:20:01support... I give way.I thank the Secretary of State for allowing me

0:20:01 > 0:20:05to intervene and I endorse what she says about being the only woman in

0:20:05 > 0:20:08meetings. That still does happen. But when she agree that women women

0:20:08 > 0:20:12may reach those senior levels in business that they must be paid

0:20:12 > 0:20:17equally to men and sadly today, there are still a lot of women doing

0:20:17 > 0:20:24the same work of equal value and not achieving equal pay?The honourable

0:20:24 > 0:20:29lady is absolutely right, they must be paid the same as men. It has been

0:20:29 > 0:20:32a legal for equal work not to be equally pay for many years but we

0:20:32 > 0:20:40are trying to take that one step further. Honourable members will

0:20:40 > 0:20:44know that there has been reporting substantial companies in banking, in

0:20:44 > 0:20:49media, which has shown the scale the gender pay gap and the managing

0:20:49 > 0:20:53directors, the senior directors, are having to take action as a result of

0:20:53 > 0:21:02it which is very welcome. The target to achieve 33% of women on board and

0:21:02 > 0:21:08an executive committees has been achieved by some companies. Women

0:21:08 > 0:21:13deserve to get to the top of all professions and is filed their

0:21:13 > 0:21:20aspirations take them. I would like to end by quoting Emmeline Pankhurst

0:21:20 > 0:21:23who famously said that the suffragettes had to make more noise

0:21:23 > 0:21:29than anybody else for their cause to be heard and to enact the change

0:21:29 > 0:21:35that they wanted. Man or women, we must continue the legacy of the

0:21:35 > 0:21:39suffragettes, suffragists and their supporters. We must all make enough

0:21:39 > 0:21:45noise. The agenda must be continued. This is an important debate and I

0:21:45 > 0:21:48urge everyone here to continue to press for progress as the

0:21:48 > 0:21:53International Women's Day slogan suggests, to finally achieve the two

0:21:53 > 0:21:59gender equality women have been fighting for for so long. -- true

0:21:59 > 0:22:04gender equality.The question is that this House has considered, Ford

0:22:04 > 0:22:07100 and International Women's Day. Shadow Minister for women and

0:22:07 > 0:22:11equality is.

0:22:11 > 0:22:15I am so pleased we are making time available today to continue this

0:22:15 > 0:22:20important tradition of marking International Women's Day. I would

0:22:20 > 0:22:31like to thank Mr Speaker. He has made history, helped me to raise the

0:22:31 > 0:22:33International Women's Day's flag over parliament buildings for the

0:22:33 > 0:22:39first time in this history, and to that, I would like to salute this to

0:22:39 > 0:22:44speak. International Women's Day this year has been a roller-coaster

0:22:44 > 0:22:50of emotions for me. Reading about the struggle that has to some women

0:22:50 > 0:22:55gaining the vote to vote in a general election 100 years ago, it

0:22:55 > 0:22:59highlighted just how far we have come, but also, just how far we

0:22:59 > 0:23:04still have to go. It also led me to reflect on the persistent

0:23:04 > 0:23:10inequalities relating to class and ethnicity, as well as gender.

0:23:10 > 0:23:15Working-class men had been denied the vote until 1918 and it paved the

0:23:15 > 0:23:20way for working-class women, there in franchising. Our demand for

0:23:20 > 0:23:24equality goes beyond the vote, vital though it is, of course. We are

0:23:24 > 0:23:28interested in the advancement on a broad front and we cannot ignore the

0:23:28 > 0:23:33fact that class and race often go hand in hand in the struggle for

0:23:33 > 0:23:40equality. There is little doubt that 2018 is turning out to be a landmark

0:23:40 > 0:23:45year for women. The decades of campaigning that led to women's

0:23:45 > 0:23:47suffrage a year ago highlights what women can achieve when we unite and

0:23:47 > 0:23:54organise. Madam Deputy Speaker, if all women were granted the vote in

0:23:54 > 0:24:011918, we woman would have been the majority. It took another ten years

0:24:01 > 0:24:05before full equality for women was enshrined in the representation of

0:24:05 > 0:24:12people open franchise act 1928. As I said, that legislation was the

0:24:12 > 0:24:18result of decades of struggle by famous and not so famous people. I

0:24:18 > 0:24:22remember hearing a saying, if you hold the pen, you write the history.

0:24:22 > 0:24:26It is hard to understand until you start reading bits of history and

0:24:26 > 0:24:31you realise there are bits missing. My team today is taken from the

0:24:31 > 0:24:37writer Virginia Woolf, she said, for most of history, anonymous was a

0:24:37 > 0:24:42woman -- my theme today. On the march on Sunday, I was asked who I

0:24:42 > 0:24:45was marching for, I said I was marching for the hidden history of

0:24:45 > 0:24:49women, for the women whose campaigning zeal did not make them

0:24:49 > 0:24:53famous and indeed for women who suffered and still suffer in

0:24:53 > 0:24:58silence. The role of women of colour in the suffragette movement has

0:24:58 > 0:25:02often been overlooked. I am so grateful to the Commons library for

0:25:02 > 0:25:08unearthing the case of Sarah Parker Redmond, the only known woman of

0:25:08 > 0:25:12colour to have signed the first petition for women's suffrage in

0:25:12 > 0:25:181866. She was a prominent African-American lecturer,

0:25:18 > 0:25:20abolitionist and agent of the African American anti-slavery

0:25:20 > 0:25:28society. Sarah was an educated, independent woman of wealth, why

0:25:28 > 0:25:33would she be hidden from the history of the suffragettes movement? There

0:25:33 > 0:25:39can only be one answer. The colour of her skin. Today, Madam Deputy

0:25:39 > 0:25:44Speaker, I would like to salute Sarah Parker Redmond in Parliament

0:25:44 > 0:25:49so that her name will live in perpetuity in Hansard. Thank you.

0:25:49 > 0:25:55Better known woman of colour and suffragette is a princess who is

0:25:55 > 0:25:59rightly celebrated, although she was born after the original suffrage

0:25:59 > 0:26:03petition, and she campaigned for the women nationally and locally and has

0:26:03 > 0:26:07been the subject of a BBC documentary and a Royal Mail stamped

0:26:07 > 0:26:11and I treasure the photo of me with a poster sized version of that

0:26:11 > 0:26:18stamp, a small one would not be very good, would it? I treasure that

0:26:18 > 0:26:26photograph. For the vast majority of black, Asian and minority ethnic

0:26:26 > 0:26:29women, their part in the suffrage movement has been lost. The hidden

0:26:29 > 0:26:38history that might never be told. I am proud of the opposition's 50-50

0:26:38 > 0:26:43Shadow Cabinet and I am truly proud that 45% of Labour MPs are women,

0:26:43 > 0:26:50one more heave and we will have parity, all we need, maybe, is a

0:26:50 > 0:26:56general election in the next couple of months. It is also notable that

0:26:56 > 0:27:03across the House there is a record high of women in thes, 32%. We

0:27:03 > 0:27:08welcome women and people are from all parties in this place -- record

0:27:08 > 0:27:19high of women MPs. If we could, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would say we

0:27:19 > 0:27:23should give ourselves a round of applause, but not too loudly, we

0:27:23 > 0:27:26still have persistent problems that will not go away unless we take a

0:27:26 > 0:27:33radical approach. We should applaud the Conservatives for electing a

0:27:33 > 0:27:41woman leader... Twice, the member says. While noting that for eight

0:27:41 > 0:27:46years, she has sat around a Cabinet table that sanctioned £80 billion of

0:27:46 > 0:27:51tax and benefit changes with more than 86% of cuts falling on the

0:27:51 > 0:27:57shoulders of women. So, I say, a round of applause, but not too

0:27:57 > 0:28:04loudly. Let me offer a cautionary tale... I give way.I am very

0:28:04 > 0:28:10grateful. Can I congratulate her on her speech so far and away she is

0:28:10 > 0:28:16reflecting International Women's Day? Would she join with me in

0:28:16 > 0:28:19recognising that the 66 years we have had a female head of state and

0:28:19 > 0:28:25sent congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen who has presided so well

0:28:25 > 0:28:31over this country through smooth times and rough times?I thank the

0:28:31 > 0:28:34honourable member for that intervention and absolutely I will

0:28:34 > 0:28:38congratulate the Queen for the dignity and poise she has held her

0:28:38 > 0:28:43position with over the years and I do hope that we might see the new

0:28:43 > 0:28:52generation coming in and taking that place in the future. So, and long

0:28:52 > 0:29:00may she reigned, absolutely. We do not want to see the end, but I

0:29:00 > 0:29:04understand she is scaling back her duties, to make way for the next

0:29:04 > 0:29:08generation. I am in no way advocating her demise so quickly.

0:29:08 > 0:29:14LAUGHTER Let me offer a cautionary tale,

0:29:14 > 0:29:21Madam Deputy Speaker. From 100 years ago, just as women were getting the

0:29:21 > 0:29:31vote, male misogyny struck a blow at women's sport. Teams of women were

0:29:31 > 0:29:34playing football, women's football, in front of large crowds and they

0:29:34 > 0:29:39were making big money. But the football Association, they banned

0:29:39 > 0:29:47women from their grounds. The FA said, I quote, the game of football,

0:29:47 > 0:29:51probably said it a bit more like this... The game of football is

0:29:51 > 0:29:57quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged. At a

0:29:57 > 0:30:02stroke, DFA destroyed women's football at that time. -- DFA. If

0:30:02 > 0:30:05Eniola Aluko is watching, she is probably thinking, not much has

0:30:05 > 0:30:11changed. But women football players have been making up for lost time.

0:30:11 > 0:30:16Sadly the England team lost narrowly to the world champions, the US, last

0:30:16 > 0:30:20night, but I wish them well on their continued journey and I would like

0:30:20 > 0:30:26to acknowledge the first international women's football star

0:30:26 > 0:30:29in the 1981 World Championship, the winner of the Golden Boot and she

0:30:29 > 0:30:38even appeared on a cereal box. I will give way.I just wanted to

0:30:38 > 0:30:48highlight in the world of women's football, the work Lewes football

0:30:48 > 0:30:52club do, the first in the country to give equal pay to the men and

0:30:52 > 0:30:56women's teams.Excellent news, hopefully we will see that reflected

0:30:56 > 0:31:02nationally as well, as we encourage the game of women's football. I

0:31:02 > 0:31:10would also like to note a goalkeeper, the first black woman to

0:31:10 > 0:31:18be elected in the US fall -- the US hall of fame. As women, we know we

0:31:18 > 0:31:21have to break down structural barriers, but sometimes we forget

0:31:21 > 0:31:26just how deep roots of the structural barriers are, we have to

0:31:26 > 0:31:31break down centuries-old traditions to get into places like here, in

0:31:31 > 0:31:37Parliament, that were designed to keep us out. Today too many groups

0:31:37 > 0:31:43still face discrimination and disadvantage. We must look forward

0:31:43 > 0:31:48and tackled the structural barriers facing all women and those with

0:31:48 > 0:31:53protected characteristics so we can achieve true equality for all. The

0:31:53 > 0:31:56official theme of International Women's Day is pressed for progress.

0:31:56 > 0:32:01I want to set up Labour's priorities and what they are, where we need

0:32:01 > 0:32:07change at his most pressing there is a long list including tackling

0:32:07 > 0:32:11violence against women and girls, domestic violence and abuse in the

0:32:11 > 0:32:16workplace, and of course, tackling the enduring gender pay gap. In the

0:32:16 > 0:32:22UK, I am proud of the role Labour has played in ensuring progress by

0:32:22 > 0:32:25breaking down structural barriers that have long held women back.

0:32:25 > 0:32:30Labour brought in the Equal Pay Act, the six discrimination act, the

0:32:30 > 0:32:36Equality Act, the minimum wage and introduced sure start -- sex

0:32:36 > 0:32:43discrimination act. They doubled maternity pay. Now Mr Speaker, Madam

0:32:43 > 0:32:46Deputy Speaker, Labour believe we will only make a real difference in

0:32:46 > 0:32:52closing the gender pay gap with a combination of sticks and carrots,

0:32:52 > 0:32:56we will mandate companies with over 255 employees to produce action

0:32:56 > 0:33:01plans to close the gender pay gap, companies will be accredited due to

0:33:01 > 0:33:05their progress and issued with certification, only companies with

0:33:05 > 0:33:09certification would be able to bid for lucrative government contracts.

0:33:09 > 0:33:14A win- win situation. The right thing to do. The workforce would be

0:33:14 > 0:33:19loyal, make more profit, as the Secretary of State mentioned

0:33:19 > 0:33:24earlier, and they will be rewarded for good practice. And we will

0:33:24 > 0:33:27benefit as a country. According to a study by Price water Cooper, the

0:33:27 > 0:33:33gender of the -- the closure of the gender pay gap would give a boost to

0:33:33 > 0:33:38the UK, globally to boost would be trillions of dollars. In the

0:33:38 > 0:33:42developing world, it is widely recognised that empowering women is

0:33:42 > 0:33:45an important step in driving economic growth. It should be part

0:33:45 > 0:33:51of our sustainable development goals. Between 2015 and 2016, the UK

0:33:51 > 0:33:57fell from 14th to 15th place in a ranking of 33 OECD countries based

0:33:57 > 0:34:03on five key indicators of female economic empowerment. Madam Deputy

0:34:03 > 0:34:05Speaker, our country deserves better. Our country needs a Labour

0:34:05 > 0:34:09government and our policies to put people in progress at the heart. I

0:34:09 > 0:34:17give way.Incredibly generous with her time. I hear with interest the

0:34:17 > 0:34:22proposals the Labour Party have on the table and I'm wondering, does

0:34:22 > 0:34:26she see a time there will be a female leader of the Labour Party

0:34:26 > 0:34:33and if not, why that has not happened so far?I thank the member

0:34:33 > 0:34:41for her intervention. This policy, whether introduced by a male or

0:34:41 > 0:34:46female is an important policy in addressing the inequality of pay

0:34:46 > 0:34:50towards women and ensuring this gender pay gap is not just audited

0:34:50 > 0:34:58but is closed. That is the important factor. The near parity between

0:34:58 > 0:35:01women and men in the Parliamentary Labour Party has not come about by

0:35:01 > 0:35:07chance. The introduction of all women short lists has promoted a

0:35:07 > 0:35:10change of culture. When the election was called at short notice and we

0:35:10 > 0:35:15had no time for all women short lists, we still selected and elected

0:35:15 > 0:35:23more women than any other party. The test of any party is whether you are

0:35:23 > 0:35:26helping or hindering. I am afraid many of the current government

0:35:26 > 0:35:30policies failed that test and the Labour Party is determined that we

0:35:30 > 0:35:36will be a help, not a hindrance to women. I have not got time to go

0:35:36 > 0:35:41into all the elements of our key policy strands but it is an acronym,

0:35:41 > 0:35:49a help. Access to justice, health and well-being, economic equality,

0:35:49 > 0:35:53leadership and representation and protections for women. With this, we

0:35:53 > 0:36:02will see real transformation. Women make up 51% of the population and

0:36:02 > 0:36:08without that 51%, the other 49% would not be here. Let this be the

0:36:08 > 0:36:14year that change happens. I will not wait another 110 years for real

0:36:14 > 0:36:27equality.Thank you. This is the first time in many years that the

0:36:27 > 0:36:30International Women's Day debate has been held on government time and I

0:36:30 > 0:36:34would like to thank those on the front bench who make that happen and

0:36:34 > 0:36:38we know who they are, and I hope that this is a trend for things to

0:36:38 > 0:36:47come in the future as well. It is a very special day indeed today,

0:36:47 > 0:36:50International Women's Day in the year that we celebrate 100 years

0:36:50 > 0:36:55since women first won the right to vote, but also first won the right

0:36:55 > 0:37:01to stand for election to this place. It has also been for a long time a

0:37:01 > 0:37:10day of celebration in my household. It is also my youngest son's

0:37:10 > 0:37:14birthday today, and other members on the front bench have children also

0:37:14 > 0:37:18born on International Women's Day. I think this is really a day when men

0:37:18 > 0:37:22and women can come together and should come together to celebrate,

0:37:22 > 0:37:28whether for their children or other reasons.

0:37:28 > 0:37:38A quality affect us all.Persistent inequalities disadvantages as all.

0:37:38 > 0:37:43-- us all. The work of the committee is to look at all strands of

0:37:43 > 0:37:46equality but we have a particular interest in women's equality but we

0:37:46 > 0:37:53are not frightened to look at the issues that face men, too, and the

0:37:53 > 0:37:59latest inquiry we have been doing is into dads in the workplace. I thank

0:37:59 > 0:38:04all of my honourable friends who are here today, for Gower and Birmingham

0:38:04 > 0:38:10Yardley and others who sit on the committee, to their work into the

0:38:10 > 0:38:15inquiry and just to say that we will be publishing the final report on

0:38:15 > 0:38:22that in the next two weeks. I think that the Government has, in the

0:38:22 > 0:38:25outline from the Home Secretary today, Sean and their huge

0:38:25 > 0:38:31commitment to gender equality in this country but also abroad and I

0:38:31 > 0:38:36think the announcement today shows that the tough new laws on domestic

0:38:36 > 0:38:41abuse that are being proposed indicate that that commitment is

0:38:41 > 0:38:47showing no sign of diminishing. But the record of the Government I think

0:38:47 > 0:38:52does need to be put on record because it is so striking, the

0:38:52 > 0:38:59criminalisation of forced marriage, new stalking laws, the roll-out of

0:38:59 > 0:39:01violence protection orders, new offences on domestic abuse relating

0:39:01 > 0:39:07to control, shared parentage, equal marriage, making revenge pornography

0:39:07 > 0:39:11a crying, making sex and relationship education compulsory

0:39:11 > 0:39:19for children, all of these things sure that this is a Government that

0:39:19 > 0:39:22understands the very white nature of the policies that they need to put

0:39:22 > 0:39:32in place to address equality issues for women -- the very white nature

0:39:32 > 0:39:37-- wide nature. The role of the equality select committee that a

0:39:37 > 0:39:41chair is that we continue to hold the Government's feed to the fire on

0:39:41 > 0:39:46not just existing legislative work but also that for the future -- feet

0:39:46 > 0:39:53to the fire, and I wanted to areas of work we have done on the

0:39:53 > 0:39:57committee that I think require further work in future. Maternity

0:39:57 > 0:40:00discrimination is something which still blights this country. Despite

0:40:00 > 0:40:09some of the strongest laws to outlaw maternity discrimination, it

0:40:09 > 0:40:15continues to blight the lives of too many women. The use of nondisclosure

0:40:15 > 0:40:18agreements in agreements put forward to encourage women to leave the

0:40:18 > 0:40:22workplace means that it is difficult for us to see the skill of the

0:40:22 > 0:40:29problem at its fullest and that's why in the work of the committee, we

0:40:29 > 0:40:33will be looking carefully at how we should reform nondisclosure

0:40:33 > 0:40:38agreements, not just on issues of sexual harassment but issues like

0:40:38 > 0:40:41maternity discrimination. Another area which I am sure the select

0:40:41 > 0:40:47committee will want to continue to scrutinise is the role of women. We

0:40:47 > 0:40:52did a very important report shortly before the last general election is

0:40:52 > 0:40:56calling for the implementation of aspects of the equality act to make

0:40:56 > 0:41:01it transparent how many women are standing for election in various

0:41:01 > 0:41:03points of the Parliamentary calendar. It was disappointing that

0:41:03 > 0:41:10the Government didn't agree to go forward with that part of the

0:41:10 > 0:41:14equality act, which would require all political parties to be

0:41:14 > 0:41:18transparent about their data and gender specific candidates and I

0:41:18 > 0:41:22hope I can encourage those sitting on the front bench today to continue

0:41:22 > 0:41:26to look at how we may be able to use that existing legislation to throw

0:41:26 > 0:41:31transparency onto this issue because as our previous leader David Cameron

0:41:31 > 0:41:36said, sunlight is the best disinfectant and I think that is

0:41:36 > 0:41:39still the same today, particularly when it comes to the work of parties

0:41:39 > 0:41:42and the selection of the candidates and well stunned the Labour benches

0:41:42 > 0:41:49they may have more women sitting than we do on these benches, I'm

0:41:49 > 0:41:54sure they would agree with us that it is the selection procedure that

0:41:54 > 0:41:58can really stand in the way of women coming into this place. We need to

0:41:58 > 0:42:06make sure there is transparency with regards to the data.Pharisee to my

0:42:06 > 0:42:12honourable friend that I praise the work she does -- can I say to my

0:42:12 > 0:42:20honourable friend. Both parties have something to contribute. Would she

0:42:20 > 0:42:24agree with me that we must put forward a very positive view of

0:42:24 > 0:42:29women's role in this House because the most important thing is to

0:42:29 > 0:42:33encourage young women to look at this as a potential career and if we

0:42:33 > 0:42:36are always complaining and pointing out the downside of this job, that

0:42:36 > 0:42:42is not going to be encouraging so can I encourage the select committee

0:42:42 > 0:42:45to look at positives so that young women know that this could be a job

0:42:45 > 0:42:52for them and is one of the most fantastic jobs we could ever

0:42:52 > 0:42:56possibly do?My honourable friend makes an excellent point and I would

0:42:56 > 0:42:59say for her at the best thing we're doing at the moment to encourage

0:42:59 > 0:43:03young women to be interested in politics is having a female Prime

0:43:03 > 0:43:07Minister. Certainly for me, when I saw Margaret Thatcher become Prime

0:43:07 > 0:43:13Minister and leader of the party and leader of the country, it may

0:43:13 > 0:43:16politics relevant for me, it turned politics from being old men in grey

0:43:16 > 0:43:21raincoats into something which was a Technicolor, relevant issue for me

0:43:21 > 0:43:25to be involved in as a 14-year-old girl living in South Wales where

0:43:25 > 0:43:34they weren't too many Tories around. I could see an amazing role model on

0:43:34 > 0:43:39the television, not only being a fantastic female politician, but

0:43:39 > 0:43:52also turning our country round from what was a crisis of the '70s.I

0:43:52 > 0:43:54thank the Honourable Lady forgiving way as they wanted to share a

0:43:54 > 0:44:00slightly different story and ask if she will agree with me on the value

0:44:00 > 0:44:04of teachers and the role they play in encouraging young girls coming

0:44:04 > 0:44:11forward. The story I haven't orphaned shared -- a story I haven't

0:44:11 > 0:44:15often shared is we got home at school one day and we were asked to

0:44:15 > 0:44:19work ourselves up about something and I managed to work myself up

0:44:19 > 0:44:24about Margaret Thatcher. The rest is history but I want to acknowledge

0:44:24 > 0:44:31the work done by teachers in schools in my constituency, where they will

0:44:31 > 0:44:34be holding International Women's Day events today and tomorrow and the

0:44:34 > 0:44:38impact that has on bringing the feeling of being involved in

0:44:38 > 0:44:45political debate and the importance of those initiatives.The honourable

0:44:45 > 0:44:50lady is absolutely right, it is inspiring people to get involved in

0:44:50 > 0:44:56politics which is such an important part of our job as well. I want to

0:44:56 > 0:45:01talk about inspiring women at this point. I might have been the first

0:45:01 > 0:45:06women to be elected to Parliament in north Hampshire but I am now joined

0:45:06 > 0:45:09by five other female Conservative Members of Parliament in Hampshire

0:45:09 > 0:45:14including my honourable friend the member for Eastleigh on the front

0:45:14 > 0:45:25bench today. Where one women trends, other will follow -- where one woman

0:45:25 > 0:45:36treads. I am pleased to have 60% of my borough councillors as female. I

0:45:36 > 0:45:40think it is important that we recognise that as Members of

0:45:40 > 0:45:44Parliament, we can inspire others to become involved in politics through

0:45:44 > 0:45:48the work that we do.I thank my honourable friend forgiving way. On

0:45:48 > 0:45:53the point of inspiring women, does she agree with me that as Members of

0:45:53 > 0:45:56Parliament, we get into our schools and speak to young women and show

0:45:56 > 0:46:01them that being an MP is the kind of job they should be aspiring to, as

0:46:01 > 0:46:06well as being the leader of a company. As a male MP with two

0:46:06 > 0:46:17female bosses, I know that women are as good at the job if not better.

0:46:17 > 0:46:22Old-fashioned people might say a woman's place is in the House, but

0:46:22 > 0:46:30it could also be on the front bench. Years absolutely right that we need

0:46:30 > 0:46:38to make sure we recognise the importance of encouraging more young

0:46:38 > 0:46:42women into politics.I thank the honourable member forgiving way. It

0:46:42 > 0:46:50was on a very similar point. It is important we take responsibility for

0:46:50 > 0:46:58inspiring young women but we should also remember that many of us were

0:46:58 > 0:47:02inspired by our mothers and their mothers. My grandmother didn't have

0:47:02 > 0:47:05the right to vote and I were her wedding ring to this chamber every

0:47:05 > 0:47:10day and it serves as a reminder for the older generations past.The

0:47:10 > 0:47:15honourable lady makes such a poignant point in the debate and

0:47:15 > 0:47:18ensure we will reflect on the roles of women in our own families in

0:47:18 > 0:47:23terms of getting us here today. There are also other women in our

0:47:23 > 0:47:26communities who we need to celebrate. We are incredibly

0:47:26 > 0:47:32privileged in Hampshire to be one of only four Chief constables in the

0:47:32 > 0:47:36country who is doing an incredible job of running one of the largest

0:47:36 > 0:47:43police forces in the country. My local executive in the hospital and

0:47:43 > 0:47:46Basingstoke Alex Whitfield who succeeded another female executive

0:47:46 > 0:47:51to make sure we have some of the best health services in the area.

0:47:51 > 0:47:58The honourable member is right to point out the need to have more

0:47:58 > 0:48:00women in senior policing positions and the need to encourage more women

0:48:00 > 0:48:04police officers to rise up through the ranks, but would she also join

0:48:04 > 0:48:10with me in paying tribute to the women met Commissioner, the woman

0:48:10 > 0:48:16head of the National police chief council and the woman head of the

0:48:16 > 0:48:24National crime agency, Cressida Dick and Sarah Thornton in top positions

0:48:24 > 0:48:27is a huge tribute to them and the work they have done to rise to the

0:48:27 > 0:48:33profession.Coupled with a female Home Secretary, they make a

0:48:33 > 0:48:36formidable team! Canales appointed the role of women in business? I

0:48:36 > 0:48:42represent one of the top ten centres of business in the South East and it

0:48:42 > 0:48:49is women running small businesses I find inspiring. A woman in my

0:48:49 > 0:48:54constituency runs a business to support other businesses. When I

0:48:54 > 0:48:57look at local charities, it is not just women running existing

0:48:57 > 0:49:04charities, people like Evelyn Vincent, a founder member of Headway

0:49:04 > 0:49:08Basingstoke, but women setting up new charities like Charlie Porter

0:49:08 > 0:49:19who set up a charity to support disabled children. People like me is

0:49:19 > 0:49:23one in my constituency, who is the artistic director of my local

0:49:23 > 0:49:30theatre company and it doesn't stop there -- Mary Swann. If it wasn't

0:49:30 > 0:49:36without women, I don't know what the Church of England would be doing

0:49:36 > 0:49:39because women keep our church is running. We were talking about

0:49:39 > 0:49:47football teams. Basingstoke town playing in the FA Premier League

0:49:47 > 0:49:51women's division and I am proud of the fact they are doing extremely

0:49:51 > 0:49:58well, in fact, better than the men's team.In my own constituency, I'm

0:49:58 > 0:50:04going to see Sally Preston tomorrow who runs a company that she started

0:50:04 > 0:50:07from scratch and is producing fantastically healthy children's

0:50:07 > 0:50:13food and is now a multi-million pound business, internationally.By

0:50:13 > 0:50:16recognising women who are doing things in other roles and other

0:50:16 > 0:50:23walks of life, then we can also help to make sure that young women in our

0:50:23 > 0:50:25schools can be realised that the only thing that limits them in this

0:50:25 > 0:50:32world is that imagination and the support that they get from families

0:50:32 > 0:50:37and schools to realise their ambitions. Madam Deputy Speaker, in

0:50:37 > 0:50:40talking about women in my constituency, I could not feel to

0:50:40 > 0:50:46refer to the most famous daughter of Basingstoke -- I could not fail.

0:50:46 > 0:50:50Jane Austen. Until recently, almost nobody knew that she was born and

0:50:50 > 0:50:55bred in our borough, the most famous novelist in the world and we had

0:50:55 > 0:50:58failed to recognise her. I don't know whether that was because she

0:50:58 > 0:51:02was a woman or that people didn't wait reading her books. I love them,

0:51:02 > 0:51:11some people don't, it's an acquired taste. I was immensely proud at that

0:51:11 > 0:51:15time we celebrated 200 years of her death that we could be part of a

0:51:15 > 0:51:21programme to make sure she was better remembered which led to the

0:51:21 > 0:51:23first of sculptural Jane Austen being put in place in the centre of

0:51:23 > 0:51:31my town -- sculpture of Jane Austen. I would like to thank Adam, the

0:51:31 > 0:51:36sculptor, but also Amanda, who made the project possible because I want

0:51:36 > 0:51:39to celebrate women now but also the women who have made my town a great

0:51:39 > 0:51:44place to live. Women in Basingstoke are no different to other women in

0:51:44 > 0:51:47the country, they have prodigious talent so why are we still in a

0:51:47 > 0:51:52situation where women are paid less than men? In my constituency, 25%

0:51:52 > 0:51:58less than men. We are in the bottom 4% of the UK. Despite the fact there

0:51:58 > 0:52:02is no difference in levels of education of men and women in my

0:52:02 > 0:52:06constituency, women are being paid consistently 25% less than men

0:52:06 > 0:52:12because they can't find the sort of jobs that they need to use their

0:52:12 > 0:52:17experience and talent. Organisations are working hard to try and reverse

0:52:17 > 0:52:21this worrying trend where we are not using the skills of our people in

0:52:21 > 0:52:26the way that we should all stop our local Borough Council has focused on

0:52:26 > 0:52:35this and now has a positive gender pay gap of 2.1% -- 2.16%. Local

0:52:35 > 0:52:39employers have programmes to increase female apprentices and have

0:52:39 > 0:52:43targets to increase female management. Jujitsu have a programme

0:52:43 > 0:52:48to attract female apprentices, so companies are waking up and

0:52:48 > 0:52:51recognising that they are not using female talent in the way they should

0:52:51 > 0:52:55-- Fujitsu. I am supportive of the work the Government is doing on

0:52:55 > 0:52:59gender pay gap reporting because it will provide a sort of transparency

0:52:59 > 0:53:04that companies in my constituency need to focus on this problem more

0:53:04 > 0:53:10and with around 900 businesses and Basingstoke that have more than 250

0:53:10 > 0:53:13employees, that gender pay gap reporting will be something I am

0:53:13 > 0:53:17going to be looking at very closely to ensure that we capitalise on the

0:53:17 > 0:53:21skills and talents of women because of the moment, that is a loss to the

0:53:21 > 0:53:25economy.

0:53:25 > 0:53:30I would like ministers to reflect on the issue of flexibility working and

0:53:30 > 0:53:34its availability. I was very pleased to see the Prime Minister

0:53:34 > 0:53:38particularly point out the need for flexible working to be available

0:53:38 > 0:53:44right at the start of someone's time in employment because at the moment

0:53:44 > 0:53:51research has shown that just 6% of job vacancies pay the annualised

0:53:51 > 0:53:56equivalent of £20,000 a year or more leaving many women with no option

0:53:56 > 0:54:06other than to take on low-paid, often poorly paid jobs, with little

0:54:06 > 0:54:10progression, if they need to have the sort of flexibility that many do

0:54:10 > 0:54:16to balance work and family life. I hope that the Prime Minister's

0:54:16 > 0:54:20announcement of last year around flexible working is just the start

0:54:20 > 0:54:25of a much broader set of work to Government is doing to make flexible

0:54:25 > 0:54:30working a reality for everybody in this country and to have that from

0:54:30 > 0:54:35day one. Is this a turning point? I have heard that mentioned earlier

0:54:35 > 0:54:42on. Is it a landmark year? I'm sure people around the First World War

0:54:42 > 0:54:45and Second World War, in the 60s and 70s, when so much of the legislation

0:54:45 > 0:54:49we enjoy today was put in place, I am sure they also felt they were

0:54:49 > 0:54:55landmark years. The reason why we might better say this is going to be

0:54:55 > 0:54:57a landmark year following all of the revelations we have had regarding

0:54:57 > 0:55:04sexual harassment in Hollywood and Westminster, that is because we have

0:55:04 > 0:55:08record numbers of women in work and economic empowerment is such an

0:55:08 > 0:55:13important part of cementing the changed attitudes that we are all

0:55:13 > 0:55:19looking for in the debate today. I also hope that the establishment of

0:55:19 > 0:55:23the Women and Equalities Select Committee has helped keep equality

0:55:23 > 0:55:27issues, particularly those relating to women, at the top of the agenda.

0:55:27 > 0:55:32I hope that has added to the momentum for change. We started our

0:55:32 > 0:55:38series of sexual harassment reports in 2016 with sexual harassment to

0:55:38 > 0:55:43schoolgirls and I was told at the time that we were expecting children

0:55:43 > 0:55:48to accept something that had been outlawed in the workplace. How wrong

0:55:48 > 0:55:52were we about that. Sexual harassment is something that blight

0:55:52 > 0:55:59the lives of 50% of women in this country and we have to tackle it and

0:55:59 > 0:56:03I am pleased the committee is doing two reports on that at the moment,

0:56:03 > 0:56:07sexual harassment in the public realm and at work. There really is

0:56:07 > 0:56:12more that unites us than divides us when we come to issues of women and

0:56:12 > 0:56:19I think that the women and men sitting in this House today taking

0:56:19 > 0:56:22part in this debate can make sure that if we do work together we make

0:56:22 > 0:56:29sure this turning point does create the lasting change we want to see.

0:56:29 > 0:56:35Thank you. It is a pleasure to follow the right honourable member

0:56:35 > 0:56:41for Basingstoke who is of course the chair of the Women and Equalities

0:56:41 > 0:56:43Select Committee I have had the honour of serving on for almost

0:56:43 > 0:56:48three years now. The first of its kind. It is a great honour that

0:56:48 > 0:56:54today we get the whole afternoon to debate the subject of International

0:56:54 > 0:56:57Women's Day, and it is also an honour to follow the honourable

0:56:57 > 0:57:01member putting on record there are many women who are not recognised in

0:57:01 > 0:57:06history and I am grateful that will be corrected today. As we mark 100

0:57:06 > 0:57:11years since winning first secured the vote in this place on

0:57:11 > 0:57:14International Women's Day, we have an opportunity to put on record some

0:57:14 > 0:57:17of the great successes and also to not forget the reason why we still

0:57:17 > 0:57:21have to have something such as International Women's Day because we

0:57:21 > 0:57:25have had to fight this long and we still have a long way to go. Today,

0:57:25 > 0:57:31as we mark the progress made by women on the centenary of women's

0:57:31 > 0:57:39suffrage, we must note this year's theme is press for progress. In the

0:57:39 > 0:57:43last 100 years, we have seen incremental advances in women's

0:57:43 > 0:57:50rights. In 1928, women were granted universal suffrage, 1945, family

0:57:50 > 0:57:55allowances act introduced Child benefit, 1967, the abortion act was

0:57:55 > 0:57:58enacted in the UK, however the system not extended in Northern

0:57:58 > 0:58:03Ireland. In 1975, the Sextus Coronation act was introduced making

0:58:03 > 0:58:09it illegal to discover later against women and yet... -- the six

0:58:09 > 0:58:18discrimination act. The provision of FGM, it was made a crime. Statutory

0:58:18 > 0:58:24maternity play was introduced. Rape in marriage was made a crime in

0:58:24 > 0:58:281984. In 2014, shared parental leave was introduced and it also marked

0:58:28 > 0:58:35the passage of equal marriage. Coercive control became a crime. In

0:58:35 > 0:58:402017, thanks to the former honourable member, we witnessed the

0:58:40 > 0:58:43ratification of the Istanbul convention and I thank former and

0:58:43 > 0:58:46present Home Secretary for their work in that regard. This year, the

0:58:46 > 0:58:53Government will introduce the bill on domestic violence and abuse and

0:58:53 > 0:58:58yet this year on average 40% of women will report they have

0:58:58 > 0:59:04experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. In

0:59:04 > 0:59:07Scotland, 50,810 incidents of domestic abuse were reported last

0:59:07 > 0:59:13year. Rape and attempted rape accounted for 17% of sexual crimes.

0:59:13 > 0:59:19And 35% of women have experienced by the physical or sexual, intimate,

0:59:19 > 0:59:26partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point. 200

0:59:26 > 0:59:32million women and girls will have undergone female genital Meech

0:59:32 > 0:59:36elation and the majority of them were cut before they were five. --

0:59:36 > 0:59:44female genital mutilation. One in five LGBT women have said they

0:59:44 > 0:59:53experienced hate crime because of that gender identity and one in four

0:59:53 > 0:59:56have not reported it to the police. While we recognise there is still a

0:59:56 > 1:00:01long way to go, today is an opportunity to celebrate that women

1:00:01 > 1:00:05have achieved a great deal in the last 100 years. I want to turn

1:00:05 > 1:00:09around the rather bleak view I have just presented and celebrate some of

1:00:09 > 1:00:13what Sky News published recently as

1:00:13 > 1:00:16Britain's most influential women, mocking those who have made

1:00:16 > 1:00:20achievements historically and those of today. Suffragettes, of who we

1:00:20 > 1:00:27owe a debt to, Emmeline Pankhurst, Emily Davies, great writers such as

1:00:27 > 1:00:31Virginia Woolf and Zadie Smith, and women in the public eye who rightly

1:00:31 > 1:00:35use their voice to advocate political activism such as Annie

1:00:35 > 1:00:45Lennox, Vivienne Westwood, MIA. And it includes my own First Minister,

1:00:45 > 1:00:48Nicola Sturgeon. And my colleague and friend, the honourable member

1:00:48 > 1:00:53for Paisley. She gave a brilliant speech yesterday on misogyny and

1:00:53 > 1:00:58need to be met by further online abuse which kind of proves the point

1:00:58 > 1:01:05exactly. I should also say she got some support. But the point is well

1:01:05 > 1:01:11made. While we recognise these extraordinary women and acknowledge

1:01:11 > 1:01:15the struggles they face in trying to make the world a better place, it is

1:01:15 > 1:01:19worth recognising the extraordinary women who live otherwise

1:01:19 > 1:01:24extraordinary lives -- the ordinary women. I wish to pay tribute to some

1:01:24 > 1:01:28of the truly inspiring women in my own constituency, I want to pay

1:01:28 > 1:01:34tribute to Carol Clark, Cristina Albert, and others, passionate in

1:01:34 > 1:01:38promoting fair trade in Hamilton. I want to play due to Donna Bannerman

1:01:38 > 1:01:44who established a cafe supporting mental health and I also want to pay

1:01:44 > 1:01:55tribute to every one of the members of Women's Aid who do fantastic

1:01:55 > 1:01:59work. I want to take this opportunity to put on record as

1:01:59 > 1:02:05always the plight of my own constituents who continue to fight

1:02:05 > 1:02:09for fair pension rights. They still feel their voices are largely

1:02:09 > 1:02:17unheard. The ring Swan, playing a key role in keeping the traditions

1:02:17 > 1:02:28of Lanark alive -- Lorraine Swan. Sheena Campbell, chair of the

1:02:28 > 1:02:35council who fights to make our community a better place. And a

1:02:35 > 1:02:39pioneering businesswoman who recently was short listed for the

1:02:39 > 1:02:42black beauty and fashion awards 2018. These women are all

1:02:42 > 1:02:49exceptional and that is not with outstanding women like Pauline

1:02:49 > 1:02:53Sullivan and Margaret McAllister, these women are administrators,

1:02:53 > 1:02:58teachers and kitchen staff who have worked hard on their entire adult

1:02:58 > 1:03:01life supporting families, caring for children and ageing parents while

1:03:01 > 1:03:05fighting fair pension justice and equality and fighting for equal pay.

1:03:05 > 1:03:08They deserve their voices to be heard just as much as every other

1:03:08 > 1:03:16woman on that Sky list. The recent times that movement against sexual

1:03:16 > 1:03:21harassment and the scandal in this place and the established patriarch

1:03:21 > 1:03:25eat only serves to highlight that women in all sectors experience

1:03:25 > 1:03:29patriarch you, misogyny and bullying in the know workplace everyday. But

1:03:29 > 1:03:34not all of these women have a voice. We have a long way to go and I think

1:03:34 > 1:03:38there is an opportunity in this place to really make a change so let

1:03:38 > 1:03:43us see the next 100 years make a real change. In closing the gender

1:03:43 > 1:03:47pay gap, tackling maternity and pregnancy discrimination,

1:03:47 > 1:03:51encouraging more fathers to take their share of parental leave, we

1:03:51 > 1:03:54need to continue to tackle the systemic inequalities in

1:03:54 > 1:03:58institutions like this place and lead by example to create the change

1:03:58 > 1:04:02we want to see. Today launched a petition calling on the Government

1:04:02 > 1:04:07to scrap the 4% tax on claimants child maintenance, for those who

1:04:07 > 1:04:11have expressed domestic violence in their relationship, they rely on

1:04:11 > 1:04:15this vital service. Parents should not be penalised for protecting

1:04:15 > 1:04:18their families and the Government should not seek to balance the books

1:04:18 > 1:04:21on the most vulnerable. I am calling once more in the Government to

1:04:21 > 1:04:27please consider using this opportunity was bringing forward the

1:04:27 > 1:04:29domestic violence and abuse built to address this inequity, it is not

1:04:29 > 1:04:33fair to ask women to pay a tax for the service that they ultimately

1:04:33 > 1:04:38rely on and have no other choice. I wanted to end with a quote from the

1:04:38 > 1:04:43truly inspirational woman and that is Maya Angelou, each time a woman

1:04:43 > 1:04:47stands up for herself without knowing it possibly, without

1:04:47 > 1:04:51claiming it, she stands up for all women. Let us make our voices heard

1:04:51 > 1:04:54this afternoon, it is International Women's Day, and all of those

1:04:54 > 1:05:02women's voices deserve to be heard. Thank you. It is a real privilege to

1:05:02 > 1:05:05be able to contribute to what I think is a hugely important debate

1:05:05 > 1:05:11in Parliament today. I believe that gender inequality represents the

1:05:11 > 1:05:14biggest waste of talent occurring on our planet right now. I think that

1:05:14 > 1:05:21closing that gap is not only a moral imperative, it is also an economic

1:05:21 > 1:05:26imperative for us all as well. I think the figures on gender

1:05:26 > 1:05:34inequality are absolutely striking. If you look at evidence produced by

1:05:34 > 1:05:39McKinsey in 2015, they estimated that gender inequality and achieving

1:05:39 > 1:05:47gender parity across the global economy is worth $28 trillion to

1:05:47 > 1:05:50global GDP. Just to put that in context, it is essentially the

1:05:50 > 1:05:55economies of China and the US combined. This is probably the

1:05:55 > 1:06:02biggest economic lever that we could see pulled to support jobs and

1:06:02 > 1:06:06prosperity in our global economy that is out there. I am really proud

1:06:06 > 1:06:10of the work the UK has done internationally I think following

1:06:10 > 1:06:15the sustainable development goals agreed back in 2015, for the first

1:06:15 > 1:06:21time, really, in the world, we have a list that is he to do list to

1:06:21 > 1:06:25achieve gender equality and it is not only a long list, it is

1:06:25 > 1:06:32comprehensive, covering specifically areas like FGM, health inequality,

1:06:32 > 1:06:37it also is mainstream through the whole of the sustainable development

1:06:37 > 1:06:42goals which is vital to see real change. When we look at the impact

1:06:42 > 1:06:46gender equality can have on countries around the world, it is

1:06:46 > 1:06:53absolutely stark. The impact goes so far as to be positive for not only

1:06:53 > 1:06:58economic performance, but underlying stability, outcomes in relation to

1:06:58 > 1:07:04society more generally, gender equality is a good, positive thing

1:07:04 > 1:07:08that all countries should be striving for, not because it is a

1:07:08 > 1:07:13nice thing to do, but because it is absolutely crucial for all of us.

1:07:13 > 1:07:18Some of the most inspiring people I met in my time I had an

1:07:18 > 1:07:22international development were amazing women fighting for women's

1:07:22 > 1:07:25rights in places like Afghanistan, fight here against child marriage in

1:07:25 > 1:07:33places like Sam Beard, tackling Ebola, nurses on the front line

1:07:33 > 1:07:37giving their lives, frankly, to save the people, they were absolutely

1:07:37 > 1:07:44inspiring. I think achieving gender equality is a shared responsibility,

1:07:44 > 1:07:48but if it is a shared responsibility, that means we have

1:07:48 > 1:07:55to take a collective action. All of us, not just as people, but in the

1:07:55 > 1:07:58organisations and institutions we are part of. I just briefly wanted

1:07:58 > 1:08:05to talk about what I think that collective action really means. I

1:08:05 > 1:08:10think firstly it means working in our communities, we cannot think of

1:08:10 > 1:08:13amazing groups working in our community is leading the way. Again

1:08:13 > 1:08:18I would point to some of the young people I have come across in my time

1:08:18 > 1:08:24in politics, girls in who set up an organisation which has not just

1:08:24 > 1:08:29shaken up that city but has drawn attention much more broadly across

1:08:29 > 1:08:34our country to tackling FGM. Wonderful work by long-standing

1:08:34 > 1:08:37institutions like the girl guides, fantastic charities in international

1:08:37 > 1:08:46development like Restless Development, I want to thank

1:08:46 > 1:08:50teachers around our country in our classrooms right now who are

1:08:50 > 1:08:56inspiring and educating a brand-new generation of girls and young women

1:08:56 > 1:09:00to aim higher, to have higher expectations, for themselves, but

1:09:00 > 1:09:05also to have a sense of how they need and should deserve to be

1:09:05 > 1:09:08treated by others, what relationships and stable

1:09:08 > 1:09:11relationships actually look like. I think the reforms we are bringing

1:09:11 > 1:09:18through on relationships and such sex education are longer than the

1:09:18 > 1:09:22Duke and they are crucial to making sure it is not just an issue of

1:09:22 > 1:09:26women aiming high but men and boys understand the role they can

1:09:26 > 1:09:31positively play in helping to deliver gender equality in our

1:09:31 > 1:09:37country -- sex education are long overdue. The work happening in the

1:09:37 > 1:09:47classrooms and encouraging girls to go into STEM industries is really

1:09:47 > 1:09:50important if we want to crack the statistics we talk about like the

1:09:50 > 1:09:54gender pay gap.

1:09:54 > 1:09:58That brings me onto the world of business and how important it is to

1:09:58 > 1:10:05see the continued change in the from employers that have steadily -- that

1:10:05 > 1:10:09has steadily began happening in our country over recent years and

1:10:09 > 1:10:13members have mentioned the gender pay gap. The transparency that those

1:10:13 > 1:10:19regulations, simple as they were, have brought to pay gap meetings is

1:10:19 > 1:10:22hugely powerful and I think we should recognise we are at the

1:10:22 > 1:10:26beginning of a journey. I know when I was talking to many companies who

1:10:26 > 1:10:33were looking at the reporting that was a head of them -- ahead of them,

1:10:33 > 1:10:38many wanted to make progress in their companies in terms of

1:10:38 > 1:10:41reporting statistics, purely simply having them focused on numbers for

1:10:41 > 1:10:45the first time told them what they needed to know, which is that they

1:10:45 > 1:10:50needed to make a change and I will say to any company, there are

1:10:50 > 1:10:56literally at about four weeks left, three to four weeks for companies in

1:10:56 > 1:11:00our country who are eligible to have to make the gender pay gap reporting

1:11:00 > 1:11:06submissions. My advice to them is don't be late! People will spot who

1:11:06 > 1:11:13is missing and if you're missing, he will never be able to go back and

1:11:13 > 1:11:17correct the fact that you had a year to get your house in order, if you

1:11:17 > 1:11:23had a year to make sure your reporting was on time and you

1:11:23 > 1:11:28failed. All employees and companies need to understand that young people

1:11:28 > 1:11:32growing up in the UK have different expectations and attitudes in

1:11:32 > 1:11:39relation to gender and culture and diversity, and they expect those

1:11:39 > 1:11:44attitudes and those values to be also shown in the organisations that

1:11:44 > 1:11:47they interact with on a daily basis and in particular those

1:11:47 > 1:11:52organisations that want to sell them goods and services and I think the

1:11:52 > 1:11:55sooner that in many respects businesses understand that and see

1:11:55 > 1:12:04the opportunities to respond to that, the better for broader

1:12:04 > 1:12:07society. My honourable friend for Basingstoke mentioned the broader

1:12:07 > 1:12:12workplace reforms that all governments, but including this one,

1:12:12 > 1:12:16have brought forward to make flexible working a reality. If we're

1:12:16 > 1:12:22really going to see that make a difference, we to go beyond ANSI

1:12:22 > 1:12:28attitudes -- ANSI attitudes change. We also what happened at the

1:12:28 > 1:12:33Presidents club dinner but I think it is symptomatic that change is to

1:12:33 > 1:12:41be led from the top -- we need to go beyond and see attitudes change. All

1:12:41 > 1:12:47employees need to -- all employers need to show leadership and see that

1:12:47 > 1:12:50driven through the senior management teams and evidence not just through

1:12:50 > 1:12:54their people but through their processes and the systems and data

1:12:54 > 1:12:57that they are collecting to ensure that they are moving in the right

1:12:57 > 1:13:08direction.Would she on that point welcome and give credit to northern

1:13:08 > 1:13:11Power women who have this week been winning awards for the great change

1:13:11 > 1:13:20that they have been making in driving forward as agents of change

1:13:20 > 1:13:23to transform the organisation, so they are role models and have been

1:13:23 > 1:13:27winning awards this week in Manchester for doing just that.I

1:13:27 > 1:13:31would very much like to welcome all the work they're doing. I hope the

1:13:31 > 1:13:38awards ceremony incredibly well. It is down to all of us. It is a 1

1:13:38 > 1:13:41million piece jigsaw at achieving gender equality, it is millions of

1:13:41 > 1:13:47people around our world and in our country doing things that add up to

1:13:47 > 1:13:51something big. Don't wait is my advice to people who want to see

1:13:51 > 1:13:58things change, get involved and be part of the change yourself. Just

1:13:58 > 1:14:02finishing on businesses, we know that this is good for business so

1:14:02 > 1:14:07when you look at the research, companies that own the top quartile

1:14:07 > 1:14:13for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to

1:14:13 > 1:14:18outperform on profitability. They were 27% more likely to have

1:14:18 > 1:14:24superior value creation. They are in the top quartile for cultural and

1:14:24 > 1:14:29ethnic diversity were 33% more likely to have industry-leading

1:14:29 > 1:14:34profitability and further, there is a penalty for dropping out so in

1:14:34 > 1:14:40other words, companies that are not doing this are poorer performing.

1:14:40 > 1:14:48It's not that companies that do it better performing. The clearest deal

1:14:48 > 1:14:52is that if you cared about your business and growth, do it for the

1:14:52 > 1:14:56economics. If you have for some obscure reason have not bought into

1:14:56 > 1:15:02why this is the right thing to do. This applies to Parliament, to our

1:15:02 > 1:15:04institution, all of the things that we talk about about being good for

1:15:04 > 1:15:11businesses and employers. I know that everyone in this chamber feels

1:15:11 > 1:15:15exactly as strongly as I do about this and many colleagues of course

1:15:15 > 1:15:21who aren't here. It is up to us to continue to ask yourself the

1:15:21 > 1:15:25difficult questions about how our own parties need to change. I agree

1:15:25 > 1:15:30with my honourable friend, the member for Basingstoke. I think

1:15:30 > 1:15:33transparency is absolutely crucial. I think the Conservative Party

1:15:33 > 1:15:37should leave no stone unturned to continue to play a role and indeed

1:15:37 > 1:15:41go for a stronger role in making sure that we are one of those

1:15:41 > 1:15:47parties in this House that is helping to make sure we have a 50-50

1:15:47 > 1:15:51Parliament and we should be out there making sure we are working

1:15:51 > 1:16:01with other parliamentarians on the 50-50 campaign of #askhertostand. It

1:16:01 > 1:16:04is 100 years since some women got the vote, and although we have made

1:16:04 > 1:16:09lots of progress, it has not been enough. Unless we work together,

1:16:09 > 1:16:15there is a real danger that we both flat line -- we will flat line on

1:16:15 > 1:16:18about a third of us being women parliamentarians and we need to go

1:16:18 > 1:16:24above and beyond that. I would also say that beyond all of my comments

1:16:24 > 1:16:27today, for what it's worth, I think we should never lose sight of the

1:16:27 > 1:16:41culture and diversity element. There are too many women growing up in our

1:16:41 > 1:16:44country, BME women who face a double challenge of making their way in our

1:16:44 > 1:16:48country and none of us should be prepared to accept that and I think

1:16:48 > 1:16:53whenever we're talking about gender inequality, we should explicitly be

1:16:53 > 1:16:58clear that there are groups of women in our country who face even greater

1:16:58 > 1:17:02challenges, dare I say, than some of the rest of us and fixing this for

1:17:02 > 1:17:08every single woman is our challenge and we should not stop until we have

1:17:08 > 1:17:13achieved that. I will finalise by saying that it is 100 years since we

1:17:13 > 1:17:19got the vote in this country. The suffragette movement actually began

1:17:19 > 1:17:24back in the 1860s. I am so pleased they didn't give up after 40 years.

1:17:24 > 1:17:29If there is one thing we can all take from this, is that this is

1:17:29 > 1:17:37long-term, but it'll wanted to be long-term. I won't change to happen

1:17:37 > 1:17:41faster I don't want to be looking at what we can achieve over the next

1:17:41 > 1:17:46100 years, I want us to be looking at what we can achieve in the

1:17:46 > 1:17:50generation, in the next five years, ten years, 15 years. We need to do

1:17:50 > 1:17:55that because lives are ticking by and I had attacked me too many girls

1:17:55 > 1:18:03into many countries without opportunity but with bags of talent

1:18:03 > 1:18:11-- I had the chats to meet too many girls -- I had the chance. It is a

1:18:11 > 1:18:17deal of opportunity lost and a deal talent wasted. -- day of

1:18:17 > 1:18:21opportunity. I don't accept our world needs to be like this. I don't

1:18:21 > 1:18:25accept that our country needs to be like this. We have made lots of

1:18:25 > 1:18:29progress but we have to go further and faster and I am really proud

1:18:29 > 1:18:32that all of us can be a strong voice for women not just in our country

1:18:32 > 1:18:37but around the world to articulate often the challenges that they face

1:18:37 > 1:18:44when they have no way of talking about them themselves. We now over

1:18:44 > 1:18:49recent years that over the last century, things can be different but

1:18:49 > 1:18:52we also know that we have to choose to make them different and I think

1:18:52 > 1:18:58if nothing else today, this debate is showing that as far as the UK

1:18:58 > 1:19:03Parliament is concerned we are making that choice for things to be

1:19:03 > 1:19:07different and all I can say is that I am going to be part of that change

1:19:07 > 1:19:10and I am going to be part of the effort to see the next 100 years

1:19:10 > 1:19:19deliver much, much more than last 100 years. Thank you.

1:19:19 > 1:19:29I write today to keep my promise every year to remember the women

1:19:29 > 1:19:42killed by domestic violence. I ordered a search -- I hope this

1:19:42 > 1:19:46research to researchers involved with the femicide census. After

1:19:46 > 1:19:52this, I will be told that I don't care about men who died, which is

1:19:52 > 1:20:03ridiculous. I am grateful that Karen Smith ignores this and remains on

1:20:03 > 1:20:07the side of the women who died, not the forces who want to ignore it.

1:20:07 > 1:20:11All of these stories are in the public domain. The women are all

1:20:11 > 1:20:15ages and were killed in violent episodes at the hands of men.

1:20:15 > 1:20:20Violence against women and girls is an epidemic. If as many people die

1:20:20 > 1:20:23every week at a sporting event or because they had a specific job,

1:20:23 > 1:20:30they would be national outcry. These women deserve the same. We must all

1:20:30 > 1:20:33do better to hear their stories and to end the culture of male violence

1:20:33 > 1:20:40that killed them. Their names are Anne-Marie James, Sabrina Mullins,

1:20:40 > 1:20:46Sheila Morgan, Tracy Wilkinson, Cantwell Williams, Vicky Hull,

1:20:46 > 1:20:54Hannah Blaydon, Caroline Hill, Katrina ever may, Megan Bells,

1:20:54 > 1:21:03Catalina Chile, Jane Sheikh, Tracy Kerins, conceptus Leonard, Jenna

1:21:03 > 1:21:13Leeming,

1:21:15 > 1:21:23Alison Watt, sailor Geoffrey, Karen Young, Jean Chapman, Janice

1:21:23 > 1:21:30Griffiths, Joanne Rand, Ellen Higginbotham, Julie Parkin, Molly

1:21:30 > 1:21:43McLaren, the savage -- Vera Savage, Vanessa James, Olivia Craig,

1:21:43 > 1:21:56Elizabeth Jordan, Ricky Lander, Alec Stewart, Leah Cohen, Hannah Collin,

1:21:56 > 1:22:11Beryl Hammond, Jessica King, Tyler Denton, Emma Kelty, Jean Hicks,

1:22:11 > 1:22:25Linda Parker, Catherine Smith, Leanne Mickey, Jane Sargent, Moira

1:22:25 > 1:22:35Gilbertson, to Visa Wishart, and O'Neill, Elizabeth Merriman, Gillian

1:22:35 > 1:22:46Howell, Mary steel, Simone Grainger, Michelle Anderson, Patricia

1:22:46 > 1:22:56McIntosh, Lisa Chatterton, Susan westward, Ella Parker, Janine

1:22:56 > 1:23:09Bowater, Suzanne Brown, Rebecca Dykes, Jodie Wilshire, Beverley

1:23:09 > 1:23:23Bless, Gillian Grant, Pauline Cockburn, Julie Fox, Melanie Clark,

1:23:23 > 1:23:36Terry and Jones, Julie Clark, Amelia Blake, Cassie Hayes, Claire Harris,

1:23:36 > 1:23:46Cheryl Gabrielle Hooper, Danielle Richardson, Jill Sadler, Lynn

1:23:46 > 1:23:51McNally, Charlotte

1:23:51 > 1:23:52Richardson, Jill Sadler, Lynn McNally, Charlotte, Crystal who was

1:23:52 > 1:24:00killed with her son who was 16 and her baby daughter, Diane Gossett,

1:24:00 > 1:24:06and since this list was sent to me by Karen Smith, she takes me this

1:24:06 > 1:24:10morning, to add three more women to the list from over the weekend who

1:24:10 > 1:24:18were Laura, Angela Rider and Fiona Schofield. I also want to be the

1:24:18 > 1:24:23names of women murdered at the hands of terrorism in the UK in this last

1:24:23 > 1:24:27year. It may seem to some that this pattern of violence is different to

1:24:27 > 1:24:32violence against women and girls. However, we in this place must

1:24:32 > 1:24:35recognise that the patterns of violent behaviour and perpetration

1:24:35 > 1:24:41of violence against women and girls has been seen in the past history of

1:24:41 > 1:24:47many of those who go on to commit terrorist atrocities.

1:24:47 > 1:24:56Their names are, Kirsty Bowden, Sarah 's Eleanor, Georgina

1:24:56 > 1:25:03Callander, Saffie Roussos, Kelly Brewster, Olivia Campbell, Alison

1:25:03 > 1:25:15Howe, Lisa Lees, Jane Taylor, Megan Hurley, Nell Jones, Michelle Case,

1:25:15 > 1:25:24Chloe Rutherford, Adie McLeod, Courtney Boyle, Elaine McIver,

1:25:24 > 1:25:29Andrea Christie. I want to finish my remarks today by saying all of these

1:25:29 > 1:25:34women mattered. So many people want to use their political persuasion to

1:25:34 > 1:25:39assume that perpetrators of this violence look and think in a certain

1:25:39 > 1:25:44way. I care about all women and I want to pay tribute today to the all

1:25:44 > 1:25:52women Count lobby taking place in Parliament today to recognise the

1:25:52 > 1:25:56advanced barriers to support and our national sympathy... Go ahead.I am

1:25:56 > 1:26:02very grateful. Could I thank the honourable lady on the half of the

1:26:02 > 1:26:07House for the passion and experience of which she speaks on domestic

1:26:07 > 1:26:10violence and sadly in this case murder itself? She spoke of Alison

1:26:10 > 1:26:22Award, the constituents of mine murdered. Alison's son was caught up

1:26:22 > 1:26:28in the act as well, critically ill in hospital. Life changing injuries.

1:26:28 > 1:26:35The bitter irony was a senior domestic abuse project worker, her

1:26:35 > 1:26:38friend said she dedicated her life and work to helping others.

1:26:38 > 1:26:47Politicians like us are here today and gone tomorrow. Everyone just

1:26:47 > 1:26:50listed, we need to be more proactive to try to end male entitlement and

1:26:50 > 1:26:57violence.I thank the honourable gentleman for his remarks and I

1:26:57 > 1:27:02thank him for coming here to listen to the name of his constituents and

1:27:02 > 1:27:12to recognise that just because you are in the wise about domestic

1:27:12 > 1:27:15violence, as his constituent was, it does not protect you from male

1:27:15 > 1:27:21violence. I have met women who on the face of it, people would never

1:27:21 > 1:27:28think would-be victims, and we want to cast victim is as one way and it

1:27:28 > 1:27:32is simply not the case. I want to return to say that I think we need

1:27:32 > 1:27:37in this place to recognise our commitment to ending the barriers

1:27:37 > 1:27:43faced by every woman in this country and we must never forget that

1:27:43 > 1:27:49includes refugee women who face multiple disadvantage in our country

1:27:49 > 1:27:55and often have suffered before they arrive here and while they are here

1:27:55 > 1:28:04multiple violence, both sexual and domestic. Our test should always be,

1:28:04 > 1:28:10did we do everything we could to protect all women? For too many

1:28:10 > 1:28:14women in this country, the answer to this is still simply no. We must do

1:28:14 > 1:28:24better.Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. A huge privilege to follow

1:28:24 > 1:28:29on from the honourable member for Birmingham Yardley who I served on

1:28:29 > 1:28:33the select committee with and when people say, do we really still need

1:28:33 > 1:28:37an International Women's Day, her speech sets out the reasons why we

1:28:37 > 1:28:41still do. It is issue John to be able to speak on International

1:28:41 > 1:28:48Women's Day -- it is a huge honour. And to sharing the achievements,

1:28:48 > 1:28:53particularly in this anniversary year of suffrage when 100 years ago

1:28:53 > 1:28:57some women were first given the vote. It is also an opportunity to

1:28:57 > 1:29:02set out our ambitions for the next ten years as we come to celebrate

1:29:02 > 1:29:07the centenary when all women got the vote and also set out our ambition

1:29:07 > 1:29:11for the next 100 years so the women sitting in this place then can look

1:29:11 > 1:29:16back and can list out the achievements that our generation

1:29:16 > 1:29:20have done for women and I take on the point of the right honourable

1:29:20 > 1:29:25member for Putney that it is important we get on with that, so

1:29:25 > 1:29:29they have a long list of achievements to read out in the

1:29:29 > 1:29:33years to come. Because there is still so much to do in this country

1:29:33 > 1:29:37and we have heard many honourable members and right honourable members

1:29:37 > 1:29:42already set out the issues women in this country still face around equal

1:29:42 > 1:29:47pay, the gender pay gap, we just heard, the list of names

1:29:47 > 1:29:52experiencing death by domestic violence, we have still got to get

1:29:52 > 1:29:56that 50-50 representation here in Parliament. And we so have the

1:29:56 > 1:30:01ongoing issue of sexual harassment. But there are women across the world

1:30:01 > 1:30:06facing burning injustice is still. There are women in this world who

1:30:06 > 1:30:09are still living in absolute poverty. There are women

1:30:09 > 1:30:15experiencing on a daily basis rape as a weapon of war. There are women

1:30:15 > 1:30:19who still cannot access education, even just to be able to learn to

1:30:19 > 1:30:23read and write, and not just them, but their families suffer as a

1:30:23 > 1:30:28result. There are women who are still being used as sex slaves,

1:30:28 > 1:30:33being trafficked across the world. There is the issue of female foetus

1:30:33 > 1:30:39I'd went female babies are valued less than male babies and dumped or

1:30:39 > 1:30:43even murdered in some parts of the world because men and male children

1:30:43 > 1:30:53are valued so much higher -- female infanticide. In this year of the

1:30:53 > 1:30:56anniversary, to tackle one of the issues of getting more women into

1:30:56 > 1:31:05this place, Conservative Members of Parliament have set up a series of

1:31:05 > 1:31:08her stories highlighting our personal history of how we got into

1:31:08 > 1:31:12this place because in my new role, one of the most common Tom Ince I

1:31:12 > 1:31:16get, when I say, why don't you stand for Parliament, local government

1:31:16 > 1:31:23estimate -- one of the most common comments I get when I say, why don't

1:31:23 > 1:31:26you stand for Parliament, local government? They think they do not

1:31:26 > 1:31:30have what it takes. We have such diverse backgrounds of people from

1:31:30 > 1:31:33all parties in this place, people who have done different jobs, come

1:31:33 > 1:31:40from different backgrounds, class, faith, we all have a right to be

1:31:40 > 1:31:44here and by listening to the individual personal stories of how

1:31:44 > 1:31:48women got into this place, it will hopefully encourage other women out

1:31:48 > 1:31:52there to think, I could do that. I say to women, if you are coming to

1:31:52 > 1:31:57this place to be the third female Prime Minister in this country,

1:31:57 > 1:32:00you're probably coming here for the wrong reason. If you are coming here

1:32:00 > 1:32:04because you care passionately about an issue and you will not stop until

1:32:04 > 1:32:09you achieve that, you are exactly the right person to come, no matter

1:32:09 > 1:32:15what your background or experience. I will give way.Thank you for

1:32:15 > 1:32:19giving me the opportunity to just put on the record the extraordinary

1:32:19 > 1:32:25work that my honourable friend does and the experience she brought to

1:32:25 > 1:32:28the Women and Equalities Select Committee, having been an ex-nurse

1:32:28 > 1:32:35and her experience she brings to this House is an example to us all

1:32:35 > 1:32:39and she is right to highlight the experience of the stories to

1:32:39 > 1:32:43encourage others to come here today. I thank my right honourable friend

1:32:43 > 1:32:47for those very kind comments. She is an absolute inspiration herself to

1:32:47 > 1:32:54women across this House for the work she has done in being the first

1:32:54 > 1:33:00chairman, chairwoman, of the select committee, highlighting, pushing an

1:33:00 > 1:33:04important issues for women. If I reflect on my own story, my family

1:33:04 > 1:33:08story, someone else mentioned about their grandmother, 100 years ago, my

1:33:08 > 1:33:13grandmother did not get the right to vote, my family are an Irish

1:33:13 > 1:33:17Catholic family and it was not until 1922 when women in southern Ireland

1:33:17 > 1:33:23and men got the vote for the first time. If I look at the Irish

1:33:23 > 1:33:30Catholic community in Northern Ireland, part of the UK, many

1:33:30 > 1:33:35Catholic women up until 1968 could not vote, and men, could not vote in

1:33:35 > 1:33:40local elections, it was not until the Amendment act of 1968 came into

1:33:40 > 1:33:44place that there were women in this country who still could not vote in

1:33:44 > 1:33:47all local elections. That was mainly because the Irish Catholic community

1:33:47 > 1:33:52when either homeowners nor rate payers and that disqualified them

1:33:52 > 1:33:58from being able to vote. I welcome our celebration of 100 years both

1:33:58 > 1:34:01now and in ten years' time, but I think it was a travesty there were

1:34:01 > 1:34:07women in the UK who could not vote simply because of the community that

1:34:07 > 1:34:11they came from. I welcome the change. If I look at the next

1:34:11 > 1:34:17generation closest to me, my aunt who came over from miner to work

1:34:17 > 1:34:21here, she worked in this place, in the dining rooms, she served

1:34:21 > 1:34:27honourable members -- from Ireland. She has many a tale to tell about

1:34:27 > 1:34:36her time here and I am sure the Deputy Speaker will be sure I --

1:34:36 > 1:34:40will be pleased I will not reveal it today. Winston Churchill, laden

1:34:40 > 1:34:47state, she was able to pay tribute, and I am honoured to be following in

1:34:47 > 1:34:51her footsteps working in this place, if in a different role. We all have

1:34:51 > 1:34:55family stories we can tell that will make a difference and we should be

1:34:55 > 1:35:00loud and proud about our history. But I am concerned that while we are

1:35:00 > 1:35:05achieving equality for women, it is not for all women, either in this

1:35:05 > 1:35:09country or across the world, and it is so important that when we fight

1:35:09 > 1:35:13for equality for women that it is for all women and those from the

1:35:13 > 1:35:18most vulnerable communities often need our help the most. I also am

1:35:18 > 1:35:22slightly nervous that there is discord in this country that some

1:35:22 > 1:35:26women are more equal than others and some have more of a right to speak

1:35:26 > 1:35:31out on women's issues than others and I think we are a broad church of

1:35:31 > 1:35:35women in this place and within our own political parties, there is a

1:35:35 > 1:35:38broad church of women who come with different experience, valleys,

1:35:38 > 1:35:44issues that they want to campaign on, and my message is, there is not

1:35:44 > 1:35:49a right or wrong issue to campaign on -- experience, values, issues. We

1:35:49 > 1:35:53all have a right to express our views and going forward I think it

1:35:53 > 1:35:58is important that as a group of sisters we respect each other's

1:35:58 > 1:36:01views, debate them, maybe argue against them, but respect the fact

1:36:01 > 1:36:06we all have that right to raise them. And on that point, I just want

1:36:06 > 1:36:11to highlight who I take inspiration from in the political scene. You

1:36:11 > 1:36:17would expect that of course I would have Margaret Thatcher as one of my

1:36:17 > 1:36:21political heroines, someone who grew up in a working-class area of south

1:36:21 > 1:36:26London where there was little or no hope of aspiration for working-class

1:36:26 > 1:36:33kids like me, seeing a woman on the TV who had a posh accent, often had

1:36:33 > 1:36:37a string of pearls, carried a handbag at all times, but told me

1:36:37 > 1:36:40from the TV screen that it did not matter where I came from, it was

1:36:40 > 1:36:44what I wanted to do and how hard I was prepared to work for it which

1:36:44 > 1:36:49was going to make the difference. And you would expect also that I

1:36:49 > 1:36:55would have Florence Nightingale high up on my heroine list as a nurse I

1:36:55 > 1:37:00worked at St Thomas's and I did some courses at the Florence Nightingale

1:37:00 > 1:37:04School, Chi transformed not just nursing but health care in this

1:37:04 > 1:37:07country and you would expect I would have Marie Curie high up on my list

1:37:07 > 1:37:14of heroines. I in cancer care, she put her life on the line to increase

1:37:14 > 1:37:20scientific advances and to make a difference to cancer treatments. But

1:37:20 > 1:37:24my most respect goes to someone from a very different political sphere

1:37:24 > 1:37:28from me who sat on those benches opposite but is my absolute

1:37:28 > 1:37:34political heroine.

1:37:34 > 1:37:39She is someone that has been underrated underestimated in the

1:37:39 > 1:37:42history of women in politics and very often these days we talk about

1:37:42 > 1:37:45Northern Ireland and the issues around Brexit and a frictionless

1:37:45 > 1:37:54border. We took about the lack of an Executive and an Assembly. One we

1:37:54 > 1:38:00talk about the Good Friday Agreement, we talk about John Major

1:38:00 > 1:38:05and Tony Blair, but we have airbrushed the work of Mo Mowlam. If

1:38:05 > 1:38:17she was here, there will be is some disagreement on certain issues. I

1:38:17 > 1:38:24have utmost respect for Mo Mowlam at a time when there was not a female

1:38:24 > 1:38:29leader of the DUP or Sinn Fein. She was in a room of men and had to

1:38:29 > 1:38:34knock those heads together. She was a straight talking woman, feisty and

1:38:34 > 1:38:39funny and she got things done that other people could not do, and she

1:38:39 > 1:38:42was the first female Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I

1:38:42 > 1:38:46think her efforts should be recognised. I absolutely take on

1:38:46 > 1:38:59board the advice from her -- the advice that you should never meet

1:38:59 > 1:39:08your heroes because you will be disappointed. I got to meet her and

1:39:08 > 1:39:14I heard her tour because I was inspired by the what she was doing,

1:39:14 > 1:39:18especially for the Irish Catholic community in Ireland and all

1:39:18 > 1:39:21communities, bringing them together. Her talk was witty and funny and she

1:39:21 > 1:39:30was everything I expected her to be. I went up to ask her to sign her

1:39:30 > 1:39:36autobiography for my other half who was working abroad. She said I will

1:39:36 > 1:39:40not sign it for him if he could not make the effort to be here. I will

1:39:40 > 1:39:50sign it for you. You need to keep up the good work and progress in

1:39:50 > 1:39:56becoming politically aware. We must remember Mo Mowlam. She is a woman

1:39:56 > 1:40:00you could do business with whatever side of the political divide you

1:40:00 > 1:40:04came from. This is an opportunity and a time to recognise that

1:40:04 > 1:40:09equality isn't about being the same. You can have differences and strive

1:40:09 > 1:40:13together for equality for all. Calling someone less of a sister

1:40:13 > 1:40:18because they are on a different side of the argument does not move

1:40:18 > 1:40:21forward our calls for getting equality for all women. We have

1:40:21 > 1:40:26fought so hard to get freedom for all women. We fought to get freedom

1:40:26 > 1:40:31of speech, freedom to vote, but we have so much more to do, so is

1:40:31 > 1:40:35celebrating our differences is what we need to do. We need to embrace

1:40:35 > 1:40:40them. One of my favourite sayings from Mo Mowlam it is you are never

1:40:40 > 1:40:44terrified when you say what you mean and that is something I still aspire

1:40:44 > 1:40:48to. With that in mind, let's remember the women that made this

1:40:48 > 1:40:51country great and let us work together to tackle the issues that

1:40:51 > 1:41:04still exist.I am very proud to be sitting on these famous green

1:41:04 > 1:41:08benches on International Women's Day with other women around representing

1:41:08 > 1:41:14constituencies from all four corners of the United Kingdom. Since 1918

1:41:14 > 1:41:20representation of the people's act and the parliament collocation of

1:41:20 > 1:41:25women's act, significant advances have been made in making Parliament

1:41:25 > 1:41:30more accurately represent the country it serves. Since these acts

1:41:30 > 1:41:35489 women have been elected as members of this house. Milestone

1:41:35 > 1:41:40which must've seemed so distant to women like Mary Smith who delivered

1:41:40 > 1:41:47the first women's suffrage petition to Parliament in 1832. Currently

1:41:47 > 1:41:53there are 208 female MPs and I myself am honoured to be the first

1:41:53 > 1:41:59female MP for the seat I represent in Coventry North East. Great

1:41:59 > 1:42:02changes alongside this act, including the industrial revolution

1:42:02 > 1:42:11in both world wars, challenged the notion that a woman's was solely

1:42:11 > 1:42:15domestic and opened up opportunities for women. Despite this progress the

1:42:15 > 1:42:20battle is far from won. Yes, once it's fantastic that we currently

1:42:20 > 1:42:26have 208 female MPs in this house, this only equates to 32%. At the

1:42:26 > 1:42:30last general election there were only an additional 12 women elected.

1:42:30 > 1:42:35At the current rate it will take 50 years to achieve gender equality in

1:42:35 > 1:42:41Parliament. 100 years after some women won the right to vote and some

1:42:41 > 1:42:45were afforded the opportunity to stand for election as an MP, the

1:42:45 > 1:42:49fight for political equality must continue. I am proud to come from a

1:42:49 > 1:42:53party which has such an impressive record in shoving to achieve this.

1:42:53 > 1:42:57Labour has more female MPs in all other parties put together and is

1:42:57 > 1:43:03the only party to advocate the use of all women short lists to address

1:43:03 > 1:43:06the inequalities still present within the current system. I have

1:43:06 > 1:43:12seen many, many changes from when I first started work in a job where I

1:43:12 > 1:43:17myself did not get equal pay. I was happy to see the introduction of the

1:43:17 > 1:43:24Equal Pay Act and the work and families act, extending the right to

1:43:24 > 1:43:30statutory maternity leave to a full year. When I have my children I was

1:43:30 > 1:43:34back at work after six weeks and 12 weeks respectively. I needed the

1:43:34 > 1:43:41money and I needed to keep my job. As we have heard from previous

1:43:41 > 1:43:48contributions today, there have been many other advances in the calls for

1:43:48 > 1:43:53women's equality, but more needs to be done, especially maternity rights

1:43:53 > 1:44:00and the gender pay gap. In Coventry, a recent survey found that less than

1:44:00 > 1:44:0420% of female respondents felt they are treated equally to men. A

1:44:04 > 1:44:10further 42% believe they have experienced gender discrimination in

1:44:10 > 1:44:14the workplace and every 60% felt that women are under pressure to

1:44:14 > 1:44:19look good at all times. It is clear that significant advances have been

1:44:19 > 1:44:24made since the representation of the people and the Parliament

1:44:24 > 1:44:28qualification acts, but the results of this survey are alarming and

1:44:28 > 1:44:33reminders of how far we still have to go. Women are still paid less

1:44:33 > 1:44:38than men in many fields and gender stereotypes surrounding certain

1:44:38 > 1:44:41degree subjects and industries still exist. Women are still objectified

1:44:41 > 1:44:48in the media and for many, politics remains a man's world with many

1:44:48 > 1:44:53women feeling this glass ceiling will never ever shatter. We have

1:44:53 > 1:44:58come so far, but the fight for gender equality is not over and

1:44:58 > 1:45:04woodcuts, especially to tax credits, NHS, social care budgets, it's off

1:45:04 > 1:45:10Dean women that are hit hardest. Before I conclude, Madam Deputy

1:45:10 > 1:45:16Speaker, of especial day-to-day I would like to pay tribute to a great

1:45:16 > 1:45:21strong and formidable woman who was elected and swept to power on the

1:45:21 > 1:45:273rd of May 19 79. She was to inspire a young woman who watched her every

1:45:27 > 1:45:32move. A young woman who because of her inspiration and her very

1:45:32 > 1:45:39presence would become the 414 the woman ever to be elected to this

1:45:39 > 1:45:44place. It's probably not the person you are thinking. This great woman

1:45:44 > 1:45:49lived in Coventry were in her kitchen was a plaque that said, a

1:45:49 > 1:45:55woman's 's is in her trade union. Her name was Dorothy Dalton. She was

1:45:55 > 1:46:01my mother, and was elected to Coventry City Council on that very

1:46:01 > 1:46:06night, and night when the Labour Party swept to power in Coventry.

1:46:06 > 1:46:14Great women inspire other women. Women of influence give other women

1:46:14 > 1:46:20confidence. So thinking about all women around the world, I hope the

1:46:20 > 1:46:24minister will join me in honouring International Women's Day with a

1:46:24 > 1:46:29reflection on what we have achieved so far, but an acknowledgement that

1:46:29 > 1:46:39more can and more must be done for gender equality.It is a great

1:46:39 > 1:46:45delight to follow the order of the -- to follow the Honourable lady

1:46:45 > 1:46:52from Coventry North East. We may disagree in the Chamber, but we have

1:46:52 > 1:47:00had good discussions and we agreed on other issues, so I thank her for

1:47:00 > 1:47:07her words. I'm delighted to speak on this important debate. Partly

1:47:07 > 1:47:15because of the issue that so many other honourable members have said

1:47:15 > 1:47:20is important. Even in 2018 to many women are not allowed to have a

1:47:20 > 1:47:32voice. What are we celebrating? We are celebrating 100 years since

1:47:32 > 1:47:44women were allowed to vote. We are also celebrating life peers. Also we

1:47:44 > 1:47:52are celebrating women having electoral equality with men and in

1:47:52 > 1:48:01ten years' time we will have even more celebrations. On the 14th of

1:48:01 > 1:48:06December it will be 100 years since the 1918 general election when women

1:48:06 > 1:48:11over 30 and virtually all men over 21 finally could vote in a general

1:48:11 > 1:48:23election for the very first time. We've had female representation

1:48:23 > 1:48:27since 1992. Angela Knight was elected, followed by Liz Blackman

1:48:27 > 1:48:41and in 2010 Jessica Lee, in 2015, myself. That is 26 years of Tettey

1:48:41 > 1:48:46two been represented by women. Women fought for the seat because they

1:48:46 > 1:48:51were the best, not just because they were women. We want to make sure

1:48:51 > 1:48:56that women do feel able to put themselves forward for positions for

1:48:56 > 1:48:59members of Parliament, the boards of directors and whatever role they

1:48:59 > 1:49:07want. I want to add to what else is happening in ten two. Our current

1:49:07 > 1:49:13mayor is counsel everyone Hopkinson. No one can doubt the excellent

1:49:13 > 1:49:20representation that Erewash has in terms of female representation. In

1:49:20 > 1:49:25previous debates in International Women's Day I have highlighted a

1:49:25 > 1:49:29great women in my constituency that are active today. I've always

1:49:29 > 1:49:33faithful I will miss someone out, so today I want to recognise them in

1:49:33 > 1:49:37general for all the work they do, but I want to look back 100 years

1:49:37 > 1:49:42because that's what we are really celebrating. I want to extol the

1:49:42 > 1:49:47virtues of another Erewash lady who was alive a hundred years ago. That

1:49:47 > 1:49:54is Dame Laura Knight. She was born in 1877 and passed away in 1970. She

1:49:54 > 1:50:01was a highly acclaimed artist. In her long career she was the most

1:50:01 > 1:50:08successful and popular female painter in Britain. She was made a

1:50:08 > 1:50:13Dame in 1929 and in 1936 became the first woman elected to full

1:50:13 > 1:50:18membership of the Royal Academy. The Royal Academy was established in

1:50:18 > 1:50:231768. It took so long to get the first woman to be a member of the

1:50:23 > 1:50:27Royal Academy. During the First World War Dame Laura was prohibited

1:50:27 > 1:50:32from painting her the love it coastal scenes in case that when

1:50:32 > 1:50:39they were displayed, the artwork might pose as a security risk. Her

1:50:39 > 1:50:42husband Harold was a conscientious objector in that war and was

1:50:42 > 1:50:47required to work as a farm labourer as a result of that. So really, they

1:50:47 > 1:50:51were living through the time when women were represented many men did

1:50:51 > 1:50:57not have that either. What we get to the Second World War Dame Laura was

1:50:57 > 1:51:04asked to produce a recruitment poster for the Women's Land Army.

1:51:04 > 1:51:07She played an important role in getting women involved in playing

1:51:07 > 1:51:13their part. In the aftermath of the war Dame Laura was famous for her

1:51:13 > 1:51:17oil painting the Nuremberg trial which was greatly praised by those

1:51:17 > 1:51:25who witnessed the trials, but not by those in the art world. Dame Laura

1:51:25 > 1:51:27without realising bred many of the rules and barriers put up by men.

1:51:27 > 1:51:34I'm sure she has been a great role model to many people since,

1:51:34 > 1:51:46particularly in the art world. Although this house pushes certain

1:51:46 > 1:51:49subjects, I believe that barriers and easily broken down, whatever

1:51:49 > 1:51:54they are. Growing up I was an active girl guides. I don't take this

1:51:54 > 1:52:02opportunity to pay tribute to these organisation -- to this organisation

1:52:02 > 1:52:06and other youth organisations, whether for girls or boys, for the

1:52:06 > 1:52:13work that they are doing to make a difference. Each year girl guides

1:52:13 > 1:52:19put out an attitude survey. There has been some disturbing data.

1:52:19 > 1:52:26It shows 64% have experienced sexual harassment in school in the past

1:52:26 > 1:52:36year, sadly up by 5% since 2014. 55% of girls aged seven to 21 say gender

1:52:36 > 1:52:40stereotypes affect their ability to say what they think. 30% save

1:52:40 > 1:52:50computing is more for boys. 76% of 11-21-year-old feel confident in IT

1:52:50 > 1:52:54skills but just 37% would consider a job in technology, the huge mismatch

1:52:54 > 1:52:59in that information and it is really worrying. The survey shows we still

1:52:59 > 1:53:06have much more to do and hopefully debates such as today's play their

1:53:06 > 1:53:09part in breaking down barriers and letting girls know they can do

1:53:09 > 1:53:17whatever they want. Whilst we all want equality and all barriers to be

1:53:17 > 1:53:22removed, it is important we have choice. It is important we recognise

1:53:22 > 1:53:29women who take the decision to dedicate many of their years to

1:53:29 > 1:53:31raising future generations and ensure their contribution is

1:53:31 > 1:53:39recognised. My mum, like mums of other honourable members, she stayed

1:53:39 > 1:53:43at home to bring up the family. I want to finish by repeating sadly

1:53:43 > 1:53:46she said to me when I was approaching 18 and those words have

1:53:46 > 1:53:53stayed in my mind every time we get an election. It is more like an

1:53:53 > 1:53:57instruction she gave to me, and those words were, women died for us

1:53:57 > 1:54:08to have the vote, always vote.Thank you. It is a pleasure to follow the

1:54:08 > 1:54:13honourable member for Erewash and to hear so many inspirational speeches

1:54:13 > 1:54:19today across the House and in particular, the speech made by my

1:54:19 > 1:54:23honourable friend, the member for Birmingham Yardley, in her moving

1:54:23 > 1:54:35tribute to the victims of violence in our country. It is fitting we

1:54:35 > 1:54:39should mark International Women's Day and the 100th anniversary of the

1:54:39 > 1:54:47Representation of the People Act, my constituency has had a proud history

1:54:47 > 1:54:50of women being pioneers, fighting for women and workers' rights, going

1:54:50 > 1:54:57back to the strikes of 1888, two establishing the East London

1:54:57 > 1:55:08Federation of suffragettes led by Sylvia Pankhurst, based in Bow with

1:55:08 > 1:55:11branches over the East End. They base their campaign in working

1:55:11 > 1:55:17women's lives and fought for a living wage, equal pay, decent

1:55:17 > 1:55:21housing, food price controls, adequate pensions. The suffragettes

1:55:21 > 1:55:27saw the vote is just one aspect of the struggle for equality and while

1:55:27 > 1:55:33it was an important step towards equality, it represented a partial

1:55:33 > 1:55:38not complete victory, as others have already pointed out. We owe a huge

1:55:38 > 1:55:45amount to them for having the opportunity to stand here today and

1:55:45 > 1:55:49speak in this debate and make a contribution to public life in our

1:55:49 > 1:55:54country and internationally. But while much progress has been made

1:55:54 > 1:55:59since then, we have so much more to do, as others have pointed out

1:55:59 > 1:56:07already, whether it is women's status, safety, writes, pay or

1:56:07 > 1:56:10representation. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am incredibly proud of

1:56:10 > 1:56:18the fact I am one of three Muslim women to have ever got elected in

1:56:18 > 1:56:232010 here in this parliament, along with my honourable friend 's Yasmin

1:56:23 > 1:56:35Qureshi and Siobhan -- I am proud others have entered Parliament

1:56:35 > 1:56:39across the House, but we have much more to do to increase the number of

1:56:39 > 1:56:43women and those from other backgrounds into our Parliament. And

1:56:43 > 1:56:48I want to pay tribute to the many women here in our Parliament who

1:56:48 > 1:56:54enabled us to get here, the women, the pioneers who first arrived in

1:56:54 > 1:56:58this Parliament. There are many but I want to single out two in

1:56:58 > 1:57:03particular. My Labour predecessor, now a member of the House of Lords,

1:57:03 > 1:57:08Oona King, the second black woman MP to have ever got elected into this

1:57:08 > 1:57:15house. And of course, the former deputy leader of my party, our

1:57:15 > 1:57:21party, The right honourable member for Camberwell and Peckham who has

1:57:21 > 1:57:27done so much for us and for our country and who commands support

1:57:27 > 1:57:33from across the House, from women across the House. I certainly would

1:57:33 > 1:57:36not be here if it was not for the encouragement and support from her

1:57:36 > 1:57:41and many other women in public life. And I hope that we continue to build

1:57:41 > 1:57:47on that, by ensuring that women have the confidence, the encouragement,

1:57:47 > 1:57:53the support, the networks, the back-up to charge ahead, to go

1:57:53 > 1:58:00forward and stand in positions in public life. That is why I took the

1:58:00 > 1:58:06step to set up a charity which has the support of different parties,

1:58:06 > 1:58:10cross-party support, called the uprising leadership charity to

1:58:10 > 1:58:16support women as well as men from white working and minority ethnic

1:58:16 > 1:58:21backgrounds, but particularly women, to enter public life, in the

1:58:21 > 1:58:24professions but also in politics, working in different constituencies,

1:58:24 > 1:58:29so that the next generation have the support and do not have to struggle

1:58:29 > 1:58:37the way previous generations have done. Many will be aware of stories,

1:58:37 > 1:58:43and I have stories of my own, of the number of times I was told, you

1:58:43 > 1:58:50can't do that, because people will not support a woman, when I decided

1:58:50 > 1:58:56to stand for Parliament. The audacity to stand is still a

1:58:56 > 1:59:03challenge for many women. Because too often, they are told that they

1:59:03 > 1:59:08cannot make it, they will not make it, they will not have the support

1:59:08 > 1:59:13of people in their community or the support of men and it is when women

1:59:13 > 1:59:20push forward and stand, as I did and others did, that it shows that those

1:59:20 > 1:59:25preconceptions and prejudices, they are actually wrong. That is why we

1:59:25 > 1:59:32must continue to encourage young women today, despite all the abuses

1:59:32 > 1:59:35online and much else, despite what we have seen in the past year of

1:59:35 > 1:59:41stories of abuse and injustice, that they can stand for public life for

1:59:41 > 1:59:46positions in politics locally and nationally. And so, I hope that we

1:59:46 > 1:59:51can all continue to work together in that effort. And as we have heard

1:59:51 > 1:59:58today, while we have achieved a great deal, the focus on progress

1:59:58 > 2:00:03must continue. And progress comes with pressure. And as we have seen

2:00:03 > 2:00:14in the last year, some of the stories through the #MeToo campaign

2:00:14 > 2:00:17and the plight of women, in countries where we would not expect

2:00:17 > 2:00:22women to suffer the way they have done, we have much to do. Around the

2:00:22 > 2:00:28world, women continue to bear the brunt of poverty much of war, sexual

2:00:28 > 2:00:34violence and climate change. There are are 130 million girls not in

2:00:34 > 2:00:37education and 50 million girls of primary school age will never get

2:00:37 > 2:00:42the chance to learn to read or write in grammar school and globally more

2:00:42 > 2:00:47than a third of women are subject to violence. 750 million women and

2:00:47 > 2:00:55girls are married before the age of 18. Women today still face the brunt

2:00:55 > 2:00:59far too often in conflicts around the world. They have been exposed to

2:00:59 > 2:01:03brutal attacks, often as deliberate tools of political and ethnic

2:01:03 > 2:01:08violence. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, women are far more likely

2:01:08 > 2:01:13than soldiers to be victims of violence. In Sudan, South Sudan,

2:01:13 > 2:01:17rape has been used as a weapon of war by both government and

2:01:17 > 2:01:20opposition forces. In a report published by the International

2:01:20 > 2:01:24Rescue Committee last year, it stated the scale of violence against

2:01:24 > 2:01:27women and girls in South Sudan is double the global average. I give

2:01:27 > 2:01:36way.I think she is making a really important point. We also know that

2:01:36 > 2:01:40the longer term consequences of these actions, the children in those

2:01:40 > 2:01:44communities grow up seeing violence around them and domestic violence

2:01:44 > 2:01:48rates, even when peace has happened in those countries, they are higher

2:01:48 > 2:01:52than other countries. It is vital she makes that point and she is

2:01:52 > 2:01:57quite right to do so.I thank the honourable member, right honourable

2:01:57 > 2:02:00member, for her contribution and the work she did as International

2:02:00 > 2:02:07Development Secretary. As someone who served as a shadow international

2:02:07 > 2:02:14development minister, we cannot, I cannot stop being affected by the

2:02:14 > 2:02:19experience of women in conflict zones and other parts of the world.

2:02:19 > 2:02:23The ongoing crisis in Syria has forced the displacements of millions

2:02:23 > 2:02:28of people who have fled to other countries in the hope of safety but

2:02:28 > 2:02:32who, as she points out, continue to experience violence long after they

2:02:32 > 2:02:36have fled the instability in their own countries. Those women now

2:02:36 > 2:02:41living in temporary refugee settlements in Turkey, Lebanon,

2:02:41 > 2:02:46Jordan, elsewhere, they have very limited access to support and they

2:02:46 > 2:02:49live in constant fear of further violence and forced marriage. I give

2:02:49 > 2:02:55way.A very powerful point you are making. With the honourable member

2:02:55 > 2:03:00agree that much more should be done to encourage more women to take part

2:03:00 > 2:03:04in making peace and greater recognition of the value that women

2:03:04 > 2:03:11can make in making peace agreements and trying to end conflict? That has

2:03:11 > 2:03:14been the case in the history of Northern Ireland for so many women,

2:03:14 > 2:03:18helping to bring about the peace we enjoy in Northern Ireland today.I

2:03:18 > 2:03:21couldn't agree more with the honourable member and we have seen

2:03:21 > 2:03:25the important contribution women can make but too often they are left out

2:03:25 > 2:03:30of those negotiations. Our government must continue to push

2:03:30 > 2:03:34forward on ensuring that they have a strong voice in negotiations for

2:03:34 > 2:03:40peace. Many girls whose lives have already been devastated by the

2:03:40 > 2:03:44conflict in their own countries, of being forced into situations that no

2:03:44 > 2:03:50child should have to face, they are living in cycles of abuse,

2:03:50 > 2:03:54exploitation and trauma. Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to turn to

2:03:54 > 2:04:02the situation of the Rohingya women who have fled recently from the

2:04:02 > 2:04:11conflict in Myanmar to Bangladesh. 70% of those affected, displaced,

2:04:11 > 2:04:15women and children. The UN has identified that what has happened

2:04:15 > 2:04:18there as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing and that genocide

2:04:18 > 2:04:23cannot be ruled out. It is increasingly apparent the Burmese

2:04:23 > 2:04:27military has systematically used rape and violence against Rohingya

2:04:27 > 2:04:31women as part of their campaign of terror, they have torched villages,

2:04:31 > 2:04:36tortured civilians, especially women. According to a UN report,

2:04:36 > 2:04:41girls as young as five, seven, they were raped, often in front of

2:04:41 > 2:04:45relatives, sometimes by three to five men, all dressed in army

2:04:45 > 2:04:49uniforms, taking turns. The report goes on to detail accounts of

2:04:49 > 2:04:55summary executions, cases of torture and disappearances. I visited the

2:04:55 > 2:04:59region a number of times in recent years and I have spoken to refugees

2:04:59 > 2:05:04who have fled violence and who have shared stories of rape and violence

2:05:04 > 2:05:13against them. And as the world watches on, we must make sure, our

2:05:13 > 2:05:17government ensures that those who have prosecuted the violence, the

2:05:17 > 2:05:20Burmese military, are held to account and a referral is made to

2:05:20 > 2:05:27the International Criminal Court. Violence against women is a

2:05:27 > 2:05:31violation of human rights and we have a collective responsibility to

2:05:31 > 2:05:36protect women, here in this country and around the world, from the

2:05:36 > 2:05:40appalling suffering they face and the implications of that suffering

2:05:40 > 2:05:45on their children. Britain has a proud history, as a leader in

2:05:45 > 2:05:51international development, and we must continue to press for progress

2:05:51 > 2:05:55and as other honourable members have pointed out, the millennium

2:05:55 > 2:05:57development goals galvanised efforts from countries around the world to

2:05:57 > 2:06:02meet the needs of the world's poorest and most vulnerable and

2:06:02 > 2:06:06particularly women. We must continue to support the sustainable

2:06:06 > 2:06:09development goals, as well as encourage other countries to do so.

2:06:09 > 2:06:16The 2030 agenda for sustainable development, adopted by world

2:06:16 > 2:06:21leaders in 2015, offer a significant opportunity for progress, with

2:06:21 > 2:06:26gender equality and women's empowerment at heart. The first of

2:06:26 > 2:06:33the goals is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. Number five of

2:06:33 > 2:06:38the goals is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and

2:06:38 > 2:06:43girls. I urge ministers across government to champion the need to

2:06:43 > 2:06:52achieve that and continue to support our aid effort.

2:06:52 > 2:06:58In conclusion I just want to stay one personal story.I was born in a

2:06:58 > 2:07:01country, Bangladesh that was borne out of conflict where millions of

2:07:01 > 2:07:11people lost their lives. And... Excuse me. Where rape and violence

2:07:11 > 2:07:17was used as a weapon of war and that continues in many other countries

2:07:17 > 2:07:23today. We must all continue to work hard to make sure that we bring an

2:07:23 > 2:07:33end to sexual violence in conflict. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It

2:07:33 > 2:07:39is an honour to follow such a moving speech. One of my thoughts is

2:07:39 > 2:07:43usually overconfidence, but I begin to speak in this debate with a

2:07:43 > 2:07:47degree of nervousness. There is so much that often goes wrong, very

2:07:47 > 2:07:50wrong when then tried to talk about issues relating to women and their

2:07:50 > 2:08:05rights. I could too easily end up saying... I'm hoping to seize that

2:08:05 > 2:08:10opportunity. I could too easily end up saying that women need to step up

2:08:10 > 2:08:15when the truth is that it is often grotesque imbalances at the very

2:08:15 > 2:08:19senior level that it means that men who often equally need to step up

2:08:19 > 2:08:24and work with women to deconstruct the obstacles that stand in the path

2:08:24 > 2:08:29of female progress. We need more men to step up speak up in this case and

2:08:29 > 2:08:38on all sides of the political debate. -- in this place. I could

2:08:38 > 2:08:43say that because we have a female Prime Minister, Home Secretary, more

2:08:43 > 2:08:50female MPs, this debate should be over. But just because suicide is a

2:08:50 > 2:09:01young male problem that we don't have too investigate further. The

2:09:01 > 2:09:15deeper one goes into any of these issues are more likely... I want to

2:09:15 > 2:09:18save three brief things. I couldn't go on the women's march on Sunday

2:09:18 > 2:09:23and I was sorry to miss it and I tweeted as much and I said as well

2:09:23 > 2:09:26that a better gender balance will make Parliament stronger for

2:09:26 > 2:09:32everyone. And for just a few hours I subsequently received if not the

2:09:32 > 2:09:43torrent that women often receive on Twitter, but some abuse that was

2:09:43 > 2:09:53keen to tell me what equal opportunities look like. Twitter

2:09:53 > 2:10:05told me that met at crossing would be better. Twitter was also

2:10:05 > 2:10:13explaining that...

2:10:17 > 2:10:23It seems to me obvious that if an equal Parliament better reflects the

2:10:23 > 2:10:26population it serves it better represents the population and it

2:10:26 > 2:10:31adds more instinctively in the whole country's interests. I can't help

2:10:31 > 2:10:34thinking that in saying any of that I am preaching to the converted. I

2:10:34 > 2:10:40was shocked to see that what felt to me to be obvious was interpreted so

2:10:40 > 2:10:45often as an attack on men. That is the second thing I want to say. To

2:10:45 > 2:10:50too many people it seems to be the case that for feminism to succeed,

2:10:50 > 2:10:55men have to lose the reality is surely that a society that draws

2:10:55 > 2:10:59without discrimination on the talents of its members is better for

2:10:59 > 2:11:03all its members. When women are treated better, men and women are

2:11:03 > 2:11:09the winners. A fairer division of Labour, both of how many people bed

2:11:09 > 2:11:12disproportionate burdens for childcare and disproportionate

2:11:12 > 2:11:14burden for earning the money that pays the mortgage, changing that

2:11:14 > 2:11:20balance will benefit everyone. Men have nothing to fear from the shards

2:11:20 > 2:11:25of glass that fall after the shattering of the glass ceiling. So

2:11:25 > 2:11:29finally, Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to talk about what men might do

2:11:29 > 2:11:33to create a society that is so equal, one day though one will bat

2:11:33 > 2:11:38an eyelid that a man will have the same aspirations for equality as a

2:11:38 > 2:11:48woman. Should men still more often be the senior people at work, should

2:11:48 > 2:12:01they promote flexible working? Should teacher training look at the

2:12:01 > 2:12:12language employed? Should we consider that if we make catcalling

2:12:12 > 2:12:16a hate crime, we treat the symptoms when we should all he had been

2:12:16 > 2:12:20committed to treating the causes of sexist behaviour, wherever they

2:12:20 > 2:12:24start. Should we not do all of that because when the country is better

2:12:24 > 2:12:32for all women, it is better for all men as well. I want to end on one

2:12:32 > 2:12:36final note. I wanted to speak today, not because I think I am some

2:12:36 > 2:12:46paragon of right on virtue. On the point of my virtue, I give way.Can

2:12:46 > 2:12:53I add one more to that list, and I praise him for what has been a good

2:12:53 > 2:12:59speech so far. That he joins the White ribbon campaign so that we can

2:12:59 > 2:13:05try and end violence against women and children as well. He is most

2:13:05 > 2:13:09welcome next Tuesday at a meeting. Not least because the Secretary of

2:13:09 > 2:13:17State is nodding vigorously. I take it it is a good campaign. I'll do my

2:13:17 > 2:13:21best to join him on Tuesday if I can. As I was saying, I wanted to

2:13:21 > 2:13:26speak because I'm not pretending I'm a paragon of virtue on this matter

2:13:26 > 2:13:30or and any other, but I want to speak because I know I'm not. I

2:13:30 > 2:13:35think the more we are conscious across this house where we are weak,

2:13:35 > 2:13:41the stronger we can be. And I know how I failed to step up both at home

2:13:41 > 2:13:46and at work and in this Chamber. It's not always possible for a whole

2:13:46 > 2:13:51host of very real reasons, but personally and professionally,

2:13:51 > 2:13:55inequality is all our loss and now more than ever we need men to stand

2:13:55 > 2:14:05up with women for fairness because we will all be better off for it.I

2:14:05 > 2:14:10feel immensely privileged to be speaking in this debate today to

2:14:10 > 2:14:15mark International Women's Day and 100 years since some women first got

2:14:15 > 2:14:18the vote. I represent a Boro Lewisham where around proud to say

2:14:18 > 2:14:23that 100 years after women got the right to be members of Parliament,

2:14:23 > 2:14:29we have three female MPs in our borough and I'm delighted to serve

2:14:29 > 2:14:32alongside the honourable members who have given me immeasurable support,

2:14:32 > 2:14:38both before and after my election to this place. Lewisham is also a Boro

2:14:38 > 2:14:46that has been pioneering in terms of gender equality. In the council set

2:14:46 > 2:14:53up the women's rights working party. We have no gender pay gap and we

2:14:53 > 2:15:06have more senior women in senior roles. So much has been done, but

2:15:06 > 2:15:10there is a great deal more to be done. Having worked as an employment

2:15:10 > 2:15:17rights lawyer for many years, I saw all too often women being demoted or

2:15:17 > 2:15:20dismissed after returning from maternity leave and employers

2:15:20 > 2:15:25placing unnecessary barriers on flexible working. I saw women being

2:15:25 > 2:15:28played in less than men for doing work of equal value and I saw women

2:15:28 > 2:15:33who were too afraid to speak out when they were discriminated against

2:15:33 > 2:15:37for fear that they might lose their jobs. It was some of those

2:15:37 > 2:15:40experiences that motivated me to try and make a difference. After I

2:15:40 > 2:15:47became a mum, two years ago on International Women's Day I launched

2:15:47 > 2:15:51my own business providing affordable legal advice to women facing

2:15:51 > 2:15:55maternity and sex discrimination at work which I ran until being elected

2:15:55 > 2:15:59to this place. I wish there was no demand for such a business, but

2:15:59 > 2:16:05there was and that is borne out by the statistics. In 2016 the

2:16:05 > 2:16:08Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the equality and

2:16:08 > 2:16:11human rights commission undertook a major piece of research in relation

2:16:11 > 2:16:16to the prevalence and nature of maternity discrimination at work.

2:16:16 > 2:16:22The results based on survey reviews with 3000 mothers and employers are

2:16:22 > 2:16:27shocking. More than three in four mothers, 7070%, said they had a

2:16:27 > 2:16:32negative discriminatory experience before or after maternity leave. One

2:16:32 > 2:16:41in five months received harassment or negative comments relating to

2:16:41 > 2:16:46pregnancy flexible working. 10% of mums were discouraged from attending

2:16:46 > 2:16:50antenatal appointments by their employer. 11% said they felt forced

2:16:50 > 2:16:59to leave their job after having a child. Scale up, this amounts to 54

2:16:59 > 2:17:03with -- 54,000 women a year for still leave their job simply because

2:17:03 > 2:17:19they have become mothers. 18.4% is the disparity between genders in

2:17:19 > 2:17:22terms of pay. There was a huge amount more that needs to be done

2:17:22 > 2:17:27and should be done to end inequality at work. Strong recommendations have

2:17:27 > 2:17:36been made, but they are yet to be inactive. All jobs should be

2:17:36 > 2:17:38advertised as flexible by default unless there is a strong reason not

2:17:38 > 2:17:51to do so. In the age of technology, Bing sat behind a desk -- being sat

2:17:51 > 2:17:58behind a desk Monday to Friday is not necessary. A culture shift is

2:17:58 > 2:18:02needed so that families, both men and women can better juggle worklife

2:18:02 > 2:18:07balance and said that having children does not diminish prospects

2:18:07 > 2:18:12up work. We also urgently need proper paid paternity leave to be

2:18:12 > 2:18:17introduced. Share parental leave has been a step in the right direction,

2:18:17 > 2:18:22however take-up has been loaded at only an estimated 2%, and the

2:18:22 > 2:18:26statutory rates of pay means it's only an option for those in high

2:18:26 > 2:18:31income families for those with savings. In addition, a model of

2:18:31 > 2:18:36transferring leave from mum to dad does not work for all families.

2:18:36 > 2:18:40Instead nontransferable paternity leave plagues at a rate closer to

2:18:40 > 2:18:44actual earning should be implemented. Only then will we get a

2:18:44 > 2:18:50cultural shift at work needed to end stereotypes about women being a

2:18:50 > 2:18:57burden and then being solely responsible for childcare

2:18:57 > 2:19:02responsibilities. Laws in relation to maternity discrimination and the

2:19:02 > 2:19:07enforcement for breach also need toughening up. To start with it

2:19:07 > 2:19:11should be made harder for women to be made redundant after they

2:19:11 > 2:19:17maternity leave. Regulation ten of the maternity and parental leave

2:19:17 > 2:19:20regulations 1999 give women some protection against being made

2:19:20 > 2:19:24redundant whilst pregnant or on maternity leave. However be

2:19:24 > 2:19:28protected period ends when the woman returns to work. This does not make

2:19:28 > 2:19:32sense given that very often it's exactly at this point when a new mum

2:19:32 > 2:19:37comes back to work that they begin to feel pushed out. Therefore I

2:19:37 > 2:19:41believe that to strengthen our discrimination lauds the period of

2:19:41 > 2:19:46detection against redundancy should be extended to 12 months after a

2:19:46 > 2:19:49woman returns to work following maternity leave. We need stricter

2:19:49 > 2:19:57sanctions for employers who breach gender laws. I welcome the policy

2:19:57 > 2:20:05launched today. This policy will help to close the gender pay gap by

2:20:05 > 2:20:16making sure that all employers employing over 250 members of staff

2:20:16 > 2:20:19have two published salaries. If employers risk losing money they are

2:20:19 > 2:20:26more likely to comply with the legal obligation. Finally, rights are hard

2:20:26 > 2:20:31to enforce. According to maternity action the introduction of Tribunal

2:20:31 > 2:20:38fees led to a reduction of 40% in maternity claims. I'm alarmed that

2:20:38 > 2:20:44there has been some suggestion that these may be reintroduced, but at a

2:20:44 > 2:20:50lower level. Tribunal fees are a barrier to access for justice for

2:20:50 > 2:20:54women who have been discriminated against at work. The time limit for

2:20:54 > 2:21:04bringing a claim for maternity discrimination is three months. It's

2:21:04 > 2:21:08not long enough. When you have a newborn baby at home you are likely

2:21:08 > 2:21:13to be having sleepless nights, not to mention feeding around the clock

2:21:13 > 2:21:18and endless nappy changes. New mums often go through a huge period of

2:21:18 > 2:21:22readjustment, physically and mentally. So the notion that they

2:21:22 > 2:21:26will be engaging with a complex legal process is unrealistic in many

2:21:26 > 2:21:30cases. That's why it's more likely women will assert their rights if

2:21:30 > 2:21:37the time limit was increased from three months up to six. Today I will

2:21:37 > 2:21:41be proud to be marking International Women's Day by speaking at an event