And here's the second batch of answers from Penny:
@Beamur
Q: What is the Government doing to reduce violence towards women? Too many women are dying at the hands of violent partners and we're also seeing in the news that murderers are using 'rough sex' as a defence. How can it be argued that anyone can give consent to sex that results in serious injuries or death?
Answer:
The Domestic Abuse Bill and wider action plan will help in this area, ensuring that the justice system and other agencies do everything they can both to protect and support victims and their children, and pursue their abuser. The Bill will do many things including creating a Commissioner, a domestic abuse protection notice (DAPN) and domestic abuse protection order (DAPO). It will also prevent cross examination of victims by accused perpetrators of domestic abuse and of other vulnerable parties in family proceedings (and prevent domestic abuse victims and other vulnerable parties from having to conduct cross-examination), introduce mandatory lie-detector or polygraph examinations of high risk domestic abuse offenders on licence and measures to support victims through the criminal process.
Preventing violence is a massive theme of the work both my departments do, so as well as the issues covered in the Bill I think we also need to examine what is driving such behaviour. At the GEO we are currently looking at research in the area of how best to engage men and boys on the social norms and expectations that affect them and their behaviour, and you can expect this to be a focus of ours in the coming months.
@Angryresister
Q. Was the decision to steal women’s pensions a blow for equality?
Answer:
The government decided more than 20 years ago it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality. People are living longer so we need to raise the age at which all of us can draw a State Pension to make it sustainable now and for future generations. By 2030, more than 3 million women stand to gain an average of £550 per year through the introduction of the new State Pension, and at least 80% of women reaching State Pension age before 2030 stand to receive more under the new State Pension than they would have done under the previous State Pension system.
But my department is working with the Department for work and Pensions (DWP) to look at what we can do to support older and more financially fragile women, and how we can close the pensions gap. There will be more on that in our Gender Equality and Economic Empowerment strategy this Spring.
I would also add that despite the logic of introducing the pension changes, I understand completely why this was so tough for women who were not prepared for it. Having your plans altered if you think you have few options to compensate, is very worrying and stressful.
@Userschmoozer
Q. Why is the Tampon Tax being spread around so many different groups that aren't for the benefit of women?
''Women-only charities lose out in funding from tampon tax''
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/03/women-only-charities-lose-out-in-funding-from-tampon-tax
Answer:
Thanks for raising this. The fund has made £62 million available to support vulnerable women and girls, but I’m not aware of why some projects were awarded and not others, or who applied to the fund and didn’t get support, it may be to do with the different themes that were given as focus areas for different rounds. I will find out more from DCMS, the department in charge of distributing the funding.
@ScrumpyBetty
Q. Penny, I heard you talking about period poverty on woman's hour. You made the point that you will be spending quite a bit of money to try and reduce the stigma of buying period products and to raise awareness. However, do you not think that actual poverty- ie- being short of money and not being able to afford to buy period products is an actual problem, and if so what are you proposing to do about this?
Answer:
You are right, by and large crack poverty you help crack period poverty. The Gender Equality and Economic Empowerment strategy, which we will publish later in the Spring will help us build women’s financial resilience. It is particularly focussed on low paid, part time, women trapped in low paid work or marginalised, women with multiple caring responsibilities, and women with disabilities. If we want women to thrive, to be as financially secure and resilient as they can be, and to reach their full potential, we need to address the challenges and choices they face.
But I think there are other factors too that create period poverty. Provision of sanitary products have not been the first thought in either public or charitable support for those in need, although there are some great schemes out there. And there will be other scenarios where people have had difficulty accessing what they need, those who find themselves in hospital unexpectedly for example.
There are clearly some things that government can help with. Products available in hospitals and schools will now be funded, but I also want to bring together those organisations who have been working in this area with manufacturers and retailers and figure out how we can ensure sustainable provision in all these senarios.
This is not about reinventing the wheel, this is about scaling up existing good ideas.
@SonEtLumiere
Q. Do you think Diane Abbott has a right to feel angry that in comparison she is expected to put up with much worse abuse. More generally, what measures can be taken to limit the chilling impact on women’s participation in public society by toxic masculinity.
Answer:
Diane has experienced some truly horrible racist and misogynistic abuse which is unacceptable and has rightly been condemned from all sides, including our Prime Minister.
We will publish a White Paper, setting out new laws to tackle the full range of online harms and set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe. We are considering all options, including what legislation will be necessary and whether a regulator is needed.
What I would say is there are now much better security protections available for MPs and that the downsides to this job are far outweighed by the upsides of serving your community and your country: it is a truly amazing job and a privilege and I’d encourage people to stand.
@Horsewithnom
Q: I think sex should be included as one of the groups that get protected in hate crimes. If that happened then I think that women would benefit from this hugely. Women are regularly targeted by violent men because they are women. Because of their sex. If racist abuse is shouted at someone from a car that's a hate crime. If my daughter is called a slag by someone in that situation then it doesn't get treated as a hate crime. Though it clearly is. I think women are as deserving of this extra protection just as much as the other groups. Do you agree?
Answer:
As part of the Hate Crime Action Plan Refresh we have asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of current hate crime legislation and we look forward to seeing the results. This review will consider whether the current legislation is effective and whether there should be any additional protected characteristics.
@Tanith
Q. Many low income women are losing money - and friends - to Multi Level Marketing companies and their representatives. Do you agree that the laws on pyramid selling need to be tightened?
Answer:
Pyramid selling schemes are illegal and people who establish, operate or promote them can be prosecuted under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Those who participate in them are likely to lose money, and you should report anyone who you suspect is operating a pyramid scheme to action fraud or citizens advice.
@implantsandaDyson
Q. Following your comments in June 2018 regarding the lack of women's reproductive rights in NI and the fact that Stormont is still completely inert but with worse feeling between the parties, I was wondering what way forward you as Minister for Women and Equalities can see in order to provide women in NI with these rights?
Answer:
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and their Secretary of State, my colleague Karen Bradley, are leading on this issue.
But the current enquiry by Parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee has been hugely helpful in showing how healthcare professionals are so concerned about doing something illegal they are not even allowing women to access the services which should currently be open to them. While NIO wait for either an assembly or declaration from the courts we should at least ensure the guidance being given to healthcare professionals is clear.
We have a duty of care to women from all parts of the United Kingdom and we are working hard to find a way through this.
@Howonearthdidwegethere
Q. How is the UK government working to ensure women’s access to single sex spaces and services in the UK?
@Ineedacupofteadesperately
Q. It's generally acknowledged in the development sector that single sex toilets are important for girls to maintain access to education.
Do you agree with this, and if so why are your policies reducing access of UK girls to spaces where they can deal with menstruation in privacy away from male bodied peers (however they identify)?
@Candidpeel
Q. The Equality and Human Rights Commission say "There is evidence that practical guidance is required to help trans people, single-sex and separate-sex service providers understand and navigate the complexities of sex-based exceptions in the Equality Act 2010, without compromising the service provided to women in difficult and vulnerable situations."
In fact women and girls would also like practical guidance as to what the Equality Act says about our rights in everyday situations like school and sports centre changing rooms, hospital wards and youth hostels, as well as in vulnerable situations like women's refuges. What will the government do to provide clear guidance for all?
Answer (for above three questions)
I understand people are worried, but I want to reassure them we are absolutely committed to maintaining protections for single sex services. As part of developing our response to the Gender Recognition Act consultation we are considering whether we need to take any further action, to make sure single sex spaces continue to be protected.
When it comes to toilets in schools, the School Premises regulations 2012, which cover England, state that separate toilet and washing facilities must be provided for boys and girls aged 8 and over.
However, the same regulations state that there can be an exception to single sex segregated toilets in schools where the toilet facilities are in a room that can be secured from the inside and used by one pupil at a time. So if a school wishes to provide, alongside the single sex toilets, single occupancy lockable toilets (rather than stalls in a shared area) as gender neutral toilets for pupils, that is judged acceptable by the regulations.
We know the concern people have over these issues and we are working as swiftly as possible to arrive at what further we may need to do.