Backbench Business

Baillie intervened by expressing her respect for colleagues across the House, acknowledging that despite differences on television, many Members are working together to make significant changes.

Bardell intervened by paying tribute to Cheryll Gillan's work in championing neurodiversity and supporting her early career. She acknowledged areas of agreement despite past differences.

Ferrier asked if the Government could accelerate the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme to provide sanctuary for women whose rights have been stripped away since the withdrawal of troops.

Shannon commended Maria Miller for bringing forward the debate and spoke about the importance of celebrating all the women in his life who shape the world positively, including his mother, wife, granddaughters, and employees.

Ferrier intervened again to discuss underrepresentation of women in senior roles such as pilots and suggested that financial support from the Government could encourage more women into industries where they are currently underrepresented.

Pays tribute to the right hon. Member for Basingstoke, celebrates women parliamentarians, discusses Libby Squire's murder case where the perpetrator had a history of sexual offences that were not reported to police due to victims' fear of being taken seriously by law enforcement. Mentions Wayne Couzens’s case and highlights how indecent exposure can escalate into more serious crimes such as rape and murder. Emphasises that women must feel safe reporting non-contact sexual offences, noting the high number of men who have committed these offences before going on to commit serious sexual assaults. Calls for better police response to reports of indecent exposure and supports Lisa Squire's campaign urging women to report these offences to save lives.

Intervenes to say that most people underestimate the impact of an assault on a woman until it happens to them personally. Stresses the importance of listening to and understanding the trauma experienced by women who have been through such assaults.

The speaker discusses a range of issues from global women's rights, including education in Afghanistan where 4 million girls are not attending school due to Taliban restrictions; domestic abuse reports in Essex have decreased by 8%; and online safety for adolescent girls. She also mentions the importance of ending child marriage through legislation and supporting measures against violent pornography.

The speaker interjected to support Vicky Ford's point about Afghanistan, emphasising that it is shortsighted for the Taliban not to educate girls given that an educated mother educates her children and contributes to a productive society.

I thank my hon. Friend for giving way and for reading that list, which is just as powerful every year. This year’s list included my constituent Fatoumatta Hydara, whose two daughters—three-year-old Fatimah and one-year-old Naeemah—were also killed in the fire started deliberately at their home.

Thanked Jess Phillips for her speech on women's rights and highlighted the need for reform in how women are treated within the criminal justice system. Raised concerns about the portrayal of female victims in the media, stressing that their cases should not be trivialised as a 'soap opera'. Emphasised the importance of reviewing outdated abortion laws which have become unsafe and unfit for purpose due to medical advancements. Highlighted issues around indecent exposure and the need to maintain gender-specific facilities to protect women from male sexual predators.

Asked Jackie Doyle-Price about the role of the media in reporting crimes against women, emphasising that perpetrators should be portrayed as murderers rather than victims of circumstances.

Agreed with Jackie Doyle-Price on the importance of relationships and sex education in schools to foster respect for women from an early age. Called for a deeper investigation by Ofsted into how these lessons are delivered in schools.

Suggested that specialist teachers should deliver sex education rather than relying on generalist educators such as maths teachers.

Agreed with Jackie Doyle-Price's stance on decriminalising abortion and treating it as a healthcare matter to reduce stigma around the procedure.

Paid tribute to Dame Maria Miller for opening the debate and highlighted cross-party work on women's issues. She mentioned a constituent, Aimee Cannon, who was killed by her ex-partner, emphasising the impact of gender violence on families and communities. Bardell shared details of Aimee's life and death, stressing the need for recognition that gender-based violence is an epidemic in society. The MP expressed gratitude to Aimee’s parents for their courage in sharing their story. She also spoke about women who have faced injustices throughout history, such as Emily Wilding Davison, and the current challenges faced by women today including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. Bardell highlighted progress made, such as Scotland becoming the first UK country to publish a women’s health plan but criticised the cut in international aid which impacts the poorest regions of the world.

Emphasised the importance of promoting tech and STEM careers for women, highlighting the need to maximise the potential of women in these industries despite equal provision and training. She discussed the role of university technical colleges (UTCs) in providing education opportunities for young people interested in STEM careers. Noted that 36% of students at London Design and Engineering UTC are girls with a higher percentage of female teachers, but only 33% of UTC graduates go on to pursue STEM careers. Cited the APPG on women and work's report which highlighted low percentages of women choosing tech careers despite high salaries and prestige in the industry. Emphasised that more women working in tech could improve technology adaptation for women and combat online misogyny.

Ms Butler discussed the inequality in titles, language used to describe women, and the laws designed to keep them vulnerable. She highlighted examples such as the legal restrictions on sex workers working in pairs but not alone. She also pointed out instances where men dictate how women should think about their bodies during debates around abortion clinics. Ms Butler further raised issues with the domestic abuse reporting system, advocating for 10 days of paid leave when leaving abusive relationships and changes to police language regarding missing women.

Ms Hobhouse shared her experience as a secondary school teacher where she was always referred to as 'Miss' while married men were called 'Sir', highlighting the inconsistency in title usage.

Mrs Miller commented on the issue of inequality in titles, noting that spouses of those who have received damehoods or knighthoods do not receive equivalent title entitlements. She agreed that this needs to be addressed from both sides.

Ms Ford highlighted the work being done in Essex, such as a 95% reduction in violent incidents caused by perpetrators who were worked with through programmes like the change hub. She suggested that Ms Butler might want to look into bringing similar initiatives to her own area.

Ms Oswald agreed on the importance of changing how women are described in public discourse and media, advocating for more respectful language to combat objectification and dehumanization of women.

The hon. Member for Southend West spoke extensively about the oppression of Iranian women, the brutal killing of Mahsa Amini and subsequent murders by the regime, highlighting the importance of standing up against such human rights violations. She celebrated local women in her constituency who are leading initiatives to support their communities and raised awareness about various issues including endometriosis, functional neurological disorder, and breast cancer.

It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Southend West (Anna Firth). A number of us do hold our mothers dear; I think of my late mother, who was not fortunate enough to see me elected to this place, but I know that she is with me every day. She was my biggest inspiration, and to echo the words of the hon. Member for Livingston (Hannah Bardell)—who is not in her place—my mother was also a single mother. We have to continue to pay tribute to the role that single mothers up and down the country, especially during this difficult time where a number of those single mothers are navigating the cost of living crisis but are still providing for their children. There are so many fantastic young women in my constituency of Vauxhall, but there is one young woman who I want to pay special tribute to this afternoon: Ebinehita Iyere, who is the founder of Milk and Honey Bees, a creative space for young black women in south London. She and a number of girls wrote a book last year, “Girlhood Unfiltered”. The work that Ebinehita has done over the past few years in providing a voice and a space for those young black girls is so inspirational. As MP for Vauxhall, I am proud to represent the Brixton community that I have lived in all my life, but I am not alone in that: Brixton is in the unique position of being represented in this House by not one, not two, but three MPs, and I am proud that since the 2019 election, all three of us are women. We should be proud of the progress we have made. However, representation must be used to improve the rights of women and girls locally, nationally and globally; therefore, International Women’s Day is not just a celebration of our achievements, but a chance for us to recognise how far we must still go to achieve global gender equality. One area in which we still see a marked disparity is between men’s and women’s health outcomes. We know that 31,000 women live with HIV in the UK, with an estimated 20 million worldwide. In 2021, 556 women were newly diagnosed with HIV in England, accounting for 27% of all new diagnoses. The vast majority of those cases were likely due to exposure during heterosexual contact. Of the women diagnosed in 2021—35% lived in London and 47% were diagnosed late—that is a key issue highlighted by organisations and charities leading the fight against HIV and AIDS. We must achieve gender parity in the HIV response, which will involve ensuring equitable investment, priority and attention to women in HIV prevention, research, data and services.

My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech about the importance of listening to women’s voices in relation to HIV and AIDS. We need to listen to women’s voices in a whole range of healthcare settings, including cases where women have been harmed by failures in healthcare, such as my constituent Sarah Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet was born dead due to inadequate maternity care, and her second daughter Lottie growing up without her big sister. Another case is Peggy Gedling, who yesterday laid to rest her son Justin far too young after being prescribed the hormone pregnancy test drug Primodos. If women had been listened to, we could have avoided some of that harm.

My hon. Friend is making a very powerful speech on the subject of women, the NHS and medical interventions. Structures like body mass index, which was created to identify the average body of a man, does not relate to women. We must look at all the systematic, structural misogyny that exists in our systems.

Celebrates women's achievements in Bristol and across the UK. Acknowledges challenges in economic and political parity, highlighting underrepresentation at international summits. Emphasises Labour's legislative efforts to promote equality, including the Equality Act 2010. Addresses ongoing issues like domestic abuse (1.6 million affected annually) and the decline in refuge spaces due to funding shortages.

Intervenes to acknowledge Labour's role while highlighting significant efforts by the current Government on domestic abuse and online safety for women, suggesting that these issues are being addressed effectively.

Ms. Hobhouse spoke about the pervasive issue of disrespect for women in society, highlighting statistics on sexual harassment and assault. She introduced her Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill to protect women from workplace sexual harassment by imposing new duties on employers. Ms. Hobhouse also discussed the case of Sarah Everard's murder, pointing out police failures and cultural issues within the Metropolitan Police force regarding the prioritisation of rape cases. She emphasised the urgent need for a culture change to address concerns about engagement with policing and the justice system. Additionally, she mentioned global threats such as violence against women during conflicts in Turkey, Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, paying tribute to the bravery of women facing authoritarian regimes.

Paid tribute to successful women in her constituency, expressed concern about misogynistic influencers spreading hate online, advocated for misogyny as a hate crime, detailed LWN’s achievements over 35 years, including increasing female representation within the party from 9% to 52%, praised the work of Jacqui Smith, called for Margaret Bondfield's portrait installation in the House of Commons and highlighted Labour’s readiness to address women's rights issues such as closing the gender pay gap and supporting women through menopause.

Supported Abena Oppong-Asare's view that misogyny should be a hate crime, arguing it would send a powerful signal that all crimes will be investigated properly and not just brushed away.

The speaker reflected on the positive contributions made by women across party lines and emphasised the importance of unity in addressing issues related to violence against women. She acknowledged the polarisation in public life and the impact it has on women, expressing concern over the toxic climate that discourages young women from entering politics. She highlighted the need for practical support for women whose rights are imperilled globally and locally, citing specific examples such as Uyghur Muslim women's forced sterilisations and labour camps. The speaker also discussed policy issues affecting women in Scotland, including the importance of closing the gender pay gap and supporting older women affected by pension changes. She paid tribute to Nicola Sturgeon for her influence on women’s rights and concluded by mentioning several inspiring women who work tirelessly to make lives better.

It is an honour to speak in this debate and celebrate the achievements of women. The speaker thanked the right hon. Member for Basingstoke (Dame Maria Miller) for proposing the debate and highlighted several trailblazing female figures such as Betty Boothroyd, Harriet Harman, Barbara Castle, and Maureen Colquhoun. She noted that more than half of the Opposition's representation is female and called for similar change in all parties and local government. The speaker also praised Jess Phillips' memorialisation of women killed by male violence and echoed concerns about impunity for violent perpetrators and the need to address misogyny online through stronger action against violent crimes, harsher sentences for rapists, and making misogyny a hate crime. She highlighted that police-recorded rape and sexual offences are at record highs but only 1.5% of recorded rapes lead to convictions. The speaker called for immediate action on women's equality and the gender pay gap, noting an increase in the latter by 12% over two years.

My hon. Friend Karin Smyth responded to Maria Caulfield’s dissent by agreeing that it is astonishing the Government are not addressing social care and childcare issues, despite being concerned about women leaving the workforce due to economic reasons. She encouraged the government to adopt Labour's plans in these areas.

Thanked Members for their contributions on women's rights and mentioned the work of Baroness Boothroyd, Margaret Thatcher, Mo Mowlam, Sir David Amess, Anna Firth, Peter Bottomley. Picked up on the issues highlighted by other MPs regarding gender-based violence both domestically and internationally, praising the UK’s commitment to preventing conflict-related sexual violence in conflict zones. Cited specific efforts such as the £60 million committed to the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative since 2012. Highlighted domestic issues like rape crisis centres' support lines and recruitment of independent advisers for sexual and domestic violence. Emphasised the need for a cross-Government approach on women's health, business, and education initiatives.

Asked whether the Minister agreed that perpetrators of sexual and domestic violence should not be rewarded in any way. Highlighted the importance of eradicating such abuse from society.

Inquired about providing wraparound therapeutic support for victims of rape, sexual violence, and domestic violence to prevent them from being re-traumatised during the justice process.

Called for a shift in police approach towards viewing perpetrators as credible targets rather than victims when investigating rape and sexual violence cases. Emphasised the importance of quick reporting by victims to provide physical evidence.

Suggested that rapid provision of urine samples within 24 hours is critical for catching perpetrators in spiking incidents.

Recognised the work of Sistah Space and Valerie’s law, advocating for continued support to address violence against black victims. Requested the Minister's assistance in advancing this cause.

An enormous thank you to everybody who has taken part in the debate. This debate always demonstrates how much agreement there is across the House, seeing more heads nodding on both sides than any other debate. The speaker emphasises the importance of keeping party politics out of these issues and focuses on changing the culture of the country to ensure women have equal opportunities as men, without additional barriers. She applauds the consensus shown during the debate.