Women and Equalities Committee

The Committee scrutinised the EHRC’s revised code of practice after the Supreme Court judgment, focusing on how it affects single-sex services, trans people, women’s safety, Article 8 rights, data handling, sport, prisons and health settings. The EHRC said the code is guidance explaining existing law rather than making new law, that the Government had been asked to withdraw outdated guidance, and that the Commission will need further sector-specific guidance and monitoring. It also said the law permits single-sex provision on a biological-sex basis, with alternative provision where needed, while prioritising enforcement because of constrained resources.

This session of the Women and Equalities Committee examined routes into coaching for girls and women across team and community sport, drawing on testimony from coaches, players, and sport bodies. Key issues include pervasive unconscious bias and male-dominated decision-making that limit advancement; the need for visible female role models to inspire participation; and the importance of practical pathways (such as apprenticeships) and early career education to widen the pipeline. Witnesses urged government and governing bodies to adopt system-wide reforms—minimum coaching-standards frameworks, retention metrics, and stronger support for maternity/paternity and flexible contracts—alongside targeted actions to improve sport-specific education, equity in access to funding, and anti-misogyny safeguards. The experts emphasised that progress requires culture change, investment in coaching workforce infrastructure, and robust data on retention and progression to ensure women remain in coaching at all levels.

The Women and Equalities Committee’s inquiry into experiences of women in live comedy examined persistent barriers to representation, safety, progression, and funding, drawing on two witness panels from venues (Frog and Bucket; Komedia Brighton) and industry bodies (Live Comedy Association, Craic/CRAFT, Equity, Funny Women CIC). Key issues included the need for proactive diversity in lineups, safety policies and harassment-reporting mechanisms, and the precarious economics of the sector post-Covid. Witnesses urged stronger national standards and sector coordination, recognition of comedy as an art form, funding support for grassroots and women-led initiatives (including The Glitter Project), exploration of a comedy levy, and innovations such as a licensing model for bookers to improve governance. They also highlighted regional disparities, barriers from open-mic to pro circuits, and calls for Employment Rights Act protections to extend to self-employed performers.

The Women and Equalities Committee scrutinised why the Government’s stated commitment to women-led businesses has not yet increased UK equity investment in female-founded firms. Ministers and BBB officials outlined a long‑term, macro‑level set of interventions: the Invest in Women Taskforce (£635m committed for the first fund), the British Business Bank’s £400m five‑year plan (with at least 50% targeting women) and related programmes (Investor Pathways, Diverse Angel Syndicate). They stressed these are foundational, cross‑cutting actions rather than short‑term fixes, and signalled openness to adjusting tools (including tax incentives and potential mandates) if needed. The Committee pressed for more explicit targets, better data, regional co‑ordination, and stronger action on data transparency, alongside consideration of pension capital and the potential for targeted sector initiatives (notably AI). The witnesses welcomed ongoing evaluation and stressed visibility, pipeline development, and public‑facing success stories as catalysts for broader market engagement.

The Women and Equalities Committee examined how equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives are measured and what roles government, employers and professional bodies should play. Witnesses argued for practical, evidence-based assessment tools and standardised metrics, while acknowledging data gaps and the cost/burden of reporting. Debates covered a tiered accreditation model for organisations, the balance between voluntary and mandatory approaches, impacts on productivity, and the need to address age, disability, socioeconomic and ethnic pay-gap complexities.

The Women and Equalities Committee held an oral evidence session on the experiences of women in live comedy. Witnesses Nina Gilligan (Comedian and Co-founder, Get Off Live Comedy), Ola Labib (Comedian and Writer), and Rachael Healy (Journalist, The Guardian and The Observer) outlined persistent gender imbalances, regional disparities, and safety concerns, alongside barriers in pay transparency, freelance employment rights, and reporting harassment. They called for policy actions including fee transparency, formal employment rights for freelancers, a freelance champion in government, sector recognition for Arts Council funding, and stronger reporting frameworks. The session did not produce a formal government commitment but elicited concrete policy recommendations and potential avenues for action to be pursued by Parliament and funding bodies.