House of Lords celebrates Women's History Month
1 March 2022 (updated on 1 March 2022)
This Women’s History Month, discover how members of the House of Lords are using their expertise to campaign for women’s rights.
Members of the House of Lords work for you. As part of the second chamber of Parliament, they bring a variety of experience and knowledge to help shape laws and challenge government action.
Read on to find out more about influential women members and staff, plus the work of the House.
Debate
On Thursday 17 March, the House of Lords held a debate to mark International Women’s Day, on furthering and protecting the equality of women in the UK and internationally.
Pressing the government for action
Recently, members have questioned the government on a range of issues relating to women, including:
21 March 2022
Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (Labour) questioned the government on releasing women from prison into safe and secure housing.
16 March 2022
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon (Labour) questioned the government on encouraging police forces in England and Wales to increase the use of stalking protection orders to safeguard the lives of victims, particularly women.
10 March 2022
Baroness Crawley (Labour) questioned the government for action on the impact of rising cost of living on women, in particular single mothers in poorer households.
3 March 2022
Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) questioned the government on plans to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March.
28 February 2022
Baroness Sugg (Conservative) pressed the government to make investment in sexual and reproductive health and rights a priority in its International Development Strategy.
21 February 2022
Baroness Altmann (Conservative) quizzed the government on correcting State Pension underpayments and arrears for women.
14 December 2021
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (Crossbench) pressed the government on the estimated 1.2 million women in England who missed breast screening during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting health disparities.
6 December 2021
Baroness Donaghy (Labour) questioned the government on what steps it is taking to make misogyny a hate crime.
25 November 2021
Baroness Crawley (Labour) quizzed the government on its plans to support the White Ribbon campaign which seeks to end male violence against women.
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is currently making its way through Parliament. The bill aims to make wide-ranging changes across the criminal justice system in areas including police powers, judicial procedures and offender rehabilitation.
Members of the House of Lords have been using their expert knowledge and experience to help shape the bill through detailed scrutiny. They have suggested changes on a range of topics including recording of crimes motivated by hostility towards the victim’s sex or gender, new offences for recording breastfeeding without consent and extending the time limit for bringing domestic abuse prosecutions.
House of Lords podcast
Baroness Smith of Basildon, Leader of the Opposition in the Lords, talks about what has changed for women in Parliament since she was elected in 1997 and what she thinks still needs to change for representation:
'The sad thing was how often the press liked talking about what we wore, and if we wore certain kind of nail varnish… There was a lot of interest in that, and some of it wasn't healthy. We were always referred to as the women MPs… Nobody ever uses that awful term now, you're just an MP. And I think that's one of the shifts. No one thinks being a female MP is unusual.’
We also discuss Baroness Morgan of Cotes' change to the Domestic Abuse Bill to tackle revenge porn, plus what she thinks of the upcoming Online Safety Bill and equality online:
'Sadly, I think there is a lot more to be done. I think that our online spaces are still too unfriendly to lots of people, but women included… I still hear too much, 'if you don't like it, then don't participate', well, we don't tell women, we shouldn't tell women not to participate in our public offline spaces so why would we expect women not to participate online?'
In conversation
Pioneering Female Members
Baroness Wootton of Abinger became the first female life peer in 1958. She was an expert in sociology, criminology and penal reform.
Baroness Hayman became the first Lord Speaker in 2006. During her time as Lord Speaker, she developed the Peers in Schools programme, engaging young people with the House of Lords and its members.
Baroness Masham of Ilton is the longest serving female member of the House of Lords. She is an active member of the House of Lords and takes particular interest in issues surrounding disability, health and penal reform.
Baroness Warsi became the first Muslim woman to serve in the Cabinet and was the youngest member in the House of Lords when she joined in 2007.
Search for members of the House of Lords and find out about their background, topics of interest, work in Parliament and contact details.
Get involved
Follow on Twitter
Visit @UKHouseofLords on Twitter for highlights of each day’s work in the House.
Follow the hashtag #HouseofLords for what’s happening, or #LordsQs for details of what topics members are pressing the government on at the start of each Monday to Thursday.
Other social media
Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for highlights, photos and videos from the UK Parliament’s second chamber.
Further information
Image: House of Lords