18 SEPTEMBER 2001

• In the 25 years since it was set up, the EOC has played a crucial role in challenging discrimination and promoting equality.
• It was Europe’s first sex equality agency and its aim was quite clear. To work towards a society that treats the contributions of men and women equally, by trying to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of sex or marriage.

• Coming here tonight, I was thinking about the world before the EOC. The pay gap at 37%?
• Jobs were advertised as women only or men only, and there were separate lower-paid occupations for women in the police and army.
• The things we take for granted today – wearing trousers at work, going up to the bar to order a drink, playing golf at the weekends – were all denied to women.

• But despite all that, not everyone was convinced that the EOC was needed - or even wanted.
• Ian Gilmour (then MP for Chesham and Amersham) said that the EOC would turn out to be ‘policewoman, prosecutor, judge, jury and even probation and after-care officer for those caught in this peculiar brand of sexual delinquency’, as he put it.
• Even judges were doubtful about the EOC’s value. One described it as having such immense powers ‘that you might think we were back in the days of the Inquisition’.
• Another severely criticised the EOC for giving its support in a case concerning a wine bar (men were being charged £1, but women were allowed in free) as ‘a scandalous waste of public money’.
• And then there was the case brought by Tess Gill and Anna Coote – who may well be here tonight – who had a long fight to establish that women had a right to be treated the same as men in public places.
• So we have come a long way, thanks in part to the role that the EOC has played.
• But there is still plenty to be done. And I am looking forward to working closely with the EOC on a number of issues in the near future.

WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION BILL

• For instance, women’s representation in parliament.
• This Government wants to encourage women to have an equal chance to play their part in the institutions that govern our country.

• It seems clear to me that we all benefit from the increased representation of women, not least because of the experiences they bring with them and the interests that they have.
• Women MPs have worked behind the scenes, lobbying and influencing the Government, to great effect.
• As a result of their efforts, we have seen real changes in our childcare strategy, maternity pay and leave, as well as reforms to the House of Commons.
• They have also brought forward private members bills.
• Debra Shipley, MP for Stourbridge, brought forward a bill that requires a list to be kept of people considered unsuitable to work with children. It is now being used as a model to protect elderly people.
• In the House of Lords, Lady Gardner of Parkes brought forward a private member’s bill to license and regulate private hire vehicles in London. This Act now helps to provide greater security and reassurance for women travelling alone.
• But women still only account for 18% of MPs, so the Government has decided to introduce legislation that will let our political parties choose whether to take positive measures to increase the number of women standing for election.
• Our proposal has already attracted a lot of support from other parties as well as the EOC.

PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS

• We are also working to increase the numbers of women appointed to public bodies.
• At a local level, it is great that so many women are participating in public life. But we need more women to come forward – women who may be school governors or magistrates or who chair their PTA – but don’t realise that those jobs equip them for a range of other, national appointments.
• There are at least 1,500 public bodies in the UK offering literally thousands (35,000) of public appointments. That’s an awful lot of jobs, but only just over a third are held by women, and we are committed to ensuring that they fill 50% of them.
• That is why we are backing up our commitment of more women on national public bodies with targeted advertising, improved networking and the offer of a series of training packages. We will be looking at the wording that we use to make sure it does not exclude women with relevant experience from applying.

• And in the New Year we will be running a number of seminars to encourage women to put themselves forward for these posts.

• I mentioned the pay gap earlier, which now stands at 18%.
• As a result of introducing the National Minimum Wage just over two years ago, over one million women received a pay rise which helped to reduce the pay gap.
• And they will have another rise in October this year when the wage goes up to £4.10. This will help low paid women, particularly part timers. But this only helps some women.
• We are also working closely with the EOC and the Equal Pay Task Force, which made a number of recommendations in its report earlier this year.
• We are encouraging employers to carry out voluntary pay reviews in partnership with trade unions.
• And we have given the EOC extra resources to work with other key players to develop a pay review model.
• But everyone has a part to play, not just Government. So we have asked Denise Kingsmill to review and advise on other measures that will reduce the pay gap.
• And that is why, as well as simplifying tribunal proceedings, we have appointed Fair Pay Champions from across a broad spectrum of public life to promote fair pay at work.

• Work/Life balance is also a key concern of both government and the EOC. We all understand the benefits to individual parents – and to their families, but the business case is telling. Let me give just two examples.
• Xerox (UK) Ltd estimates that it has saved over £1 million over the last five years through enhanced retention due to better work-life balance policies, including flexible working and leave schemes.
• Lloyds TSB worked out that it cost them between £48,000 and £50,000 to replace a senior female employee.

• Colleagues, over the last 25 years, the EOC has worked closely with others to make equality a reality.
• Under the recent leadership of Julie Mellor, it has developed a more strategic role so that it has been able to look at the wider picture of discrimination.
• This strategic approach means that the Commission is now in a better position to tackle the sources of discrimination, and not just the ways in which they manifest themselves.
• Julie has also brought about important changes in the way that the EOC engages with its stakeholders - employers, trade unions and the Government itself.

• So it gives me great pleasure to be able to announce this evening that the Government has extended Julie’s tenure of office of Chair for another three years from February next year.
• I am sure you will all join me in congratulating her for her leadership so far and I look forward, Julie, to continue working with you in the future.