International Women’s Day

Baroness Donaghy Excerpts

Friday 10th March 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Donaghy (Lab)]

My Lords, how pleased I am to be participating in the International Women’s Day debate. Although it is two days after the event, the fact that we achieved three gender-based Questions out of the four Oral Questions on the day was good. Witnessing the noble Baronesses, Lady Deech, Lady Shackleton and Lady Brady, in full sail was an awesome sight. One of our new Labour Peers, my noble friend Lady Twycross, asked a Question on equal pay and showed that she is a class act. From the Lib Dem Benches, the noble Baronesses, Lady Janke and Lady Walmsley, made their usual excellent contributions.

I want to say something about influencing international campaigns on women’s safety, health and rights, and about domestic violence and maternity/gynaecological rights in the UK. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office document referred to by my noble friend Lady Armstrong is a good document; it is just a shame about the money. Continuous cuts have significantly impacted areas that are central to the Government’s strategy, according to the organisation Plan International, particularly gender-based violence, sexual health and reproductive rights. To give an example, the 2021 UK aid cuts mean that 9.5 million fewer women and girls will receive contraceptive services and supplies, leading to an additional 4.3 million unintended pregnancies and 8,000 maternal deaths in that year alone. Can the Minister say when and by how much the ODA budget will be improved?

Another area of concern relates to Minister Andrew Mitchell’s statement in that document—a very good statement—that we also have to overcome concerted and well-funded international efforts to dilute women’s rights in the UN and other standard-setting bodies. I understand the need for some diplomacy, but at a time when the world is in turmoil, with war, famine and Covid, we need to know more about these well-funded international efforts so that we can play our part in giving the oxygen of publicity to this. Will the Minister find out, if she does not have the answer today, what information is available and how we can help to overcome these well-funded campaigns?

The Global Partnership for Education, which has helped to enrol more than 160 million children in school, has called for the UK to ensure that it follows through in a timely manner on its £430 million pledge to the global partnership. The Government’s cuts to ODA spending represent a 71% drop, making it the lowest allocation to basic education since at least 2009.

In the UK, gender-based violence and harassment are at an all-time high, with 1.5 million police-recorded incidents in England and Wales in the year ending March 2022. Yet prosecutions and convictions are falling, and 62% of domestic abuse referrals are turned away from refuges because of lack of space. Refuge is calling for more protection in the Online Safety Bill against violence against women and girls, better funding for specialist services, restoring the confidence of women and girls in the police, and improving criminal justice outcomes for survivors. Can the noble Baroness say more about sustainable funding for women’s refuges and specialist services? The noble Lord, Lord Murray of Blidworth, did a good job of treading on eggshells on Wednesday, but he did not answer my question on specialist service funding.

Finally, on maternity and gynaecological services in the UK, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists reported that there are over 550,000 women on a gynaecological waiting list as of December 2022. Imagine the impact on women’s lives and careers and on the economy due to these delays in treatment. The royal college has asked for a fully funded NHS workforce plan. When will the full increase in maternity funding be announced and will there be any ring-fencing of funding for training? Can the noble Baroness answer any of these points from the royal college?