International Women’s Day

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, for introducing this debate and for the manner in which she did so. Although much remains to be done, on such an occasion we can recall with pride what has been achieved in this country. It has not been easy. Generations of women have struggled and suffered to achieve what many of us now take for granted. At the beginning of the last century women did not have the right to vote. Participation in public life was not easy. Higher education was not thought appropriate for women, since they were expected to marry. Job availability was restricted. Equal pay was a joke. Maternity rights were unheard of. Women’s rights to control their own fertility and to have access to methods of birth control were simply not discussed in polite society. Anyhow, information on these matters was difficult to come by for young unmarried women. Without the determined and, yes, the political activity of previous generations of women, the changes from which we have all benefited would not have been achieved. There is still much to be done. There is still an unacceptable gap between male and female earnings. Too few women are involved in political activity and in Parliament, although the main political parties are aware of that and seem determined to do something about it. The new Equality Bill is seeking to deal with the pay gap and other discriminations that still exist. More could be done about affordable childcare. There is an imbalance in pension provision for women. Not enough is done to ensure that older women receive proper and affordable care and more should be done to assist carers, most of whom are women. However, a number of those issues are now recognised and steps are being taken by the present Government to try to deal with some of them. Women who care about gender equality should join those who still struggle to build on the gains achieved by previous generations. Trade unions, which when I first became an official were very male dominated, are so no longer. Unions are active on behalf of women and many women are in leading union positions. The legislation which has been developed and which is part of the current Equality Bill rightly outlaws discrimination on grounds of religion and belief. That is to be welcomed. We are a multicultural society, but we should be aware that in some ethnic minorities repression of women is regarded as part of the culture. For such women, the situation can be dire. It is not only a matter of the clothing they may be forced to wear; they can be prevented from seeking work and their access to education can be restricted. Forced marriages are common. We must be able to give assistance to such women when they require it. Cultural considerations must not prevail; our law must prevail. The rights for women that were fought for and achieved by generations of women must apply to all British citizens, irrespective of religion or culture. In the mean time, let us remember with gratitude those who have brought us this far.