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International Women's Day

I am happy to record the fact that many women in areas of public life generally have taken up the issue of gender pay, but sadly, despite the fact that we have had legislation on the statute book for more than 30 years and that for the past 13 years we have had a Government who said they wanted to do something about the gender pay gap, we still have one. We still need to find the right way to resolve it. It is partly about legislation, but other issues are involved too—for example, the advice given to girls and young women about the sort of careers they should be pursuing. A multifaceted approach is needed. It is a sign of our commitment to equality and diversity that the issue of women's representation in politics and public life lies at its heart.