Last month marked International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women's achievements and enormous contributions.
Although we have made significant progress, women still face discrimination in the workplace, education and society. The Labour government recognises this and our Plan for Change will ensure women’s equality becomes a reality.
Firstly, our Employment Rights Bill will strengthen women's rights in the workplace. Our commitment to ban zero-hours contracts and improve access to sick pay will hugely benefit women, who are more likely to be in low-paid and insecure work.
We will stop employers from firing pregnant women and new mothers from notification of pregnancy until six months after return to work.
We will introduce a legal duty on employers to take all reasonable steps to end sexual harassment, and we will make sexual harassment whistleblowing better protected under the law.
We know that the gender pay gap still exists and is highest among women in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Our bill will make every large employer publish an equality action plan focusing on the gender pay gap and supporting employees going through menopause.
These are just some of our measures that will increase women’s equality at work and ensure workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last month, the government implemented Raneem’s Law that will strengthen the police response to victims of domestic abuse. We have also put in place new domestic abuse protection orders and are pushing forward on stalking laws.
It is an ambitious agenda for a decade of national renewal, and women are at the heart of it.
This month, I was honoured to attend Fortismere Feminist Society’s concert to celebrate International Women’s Day and fundraise for Generation Girls, an organisation that supports young women to achieve their goals and aspirations.
I spoke to students about my experience of being a female MP - it was inspiring to see their passion for gender equality.
This Parliament session has the most female MPs we have ever had in the House of Commons, with 41 per cent of MPs being women, a number we are all working to continue improving. So, I hope to see these young women from Fortismere in Parliament soon!
- Catherine West is Labour MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet.
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