Women in the House of Lords

The first women in the House of Lords took their seats in 1958, forty years after women were granted the right to stand as MPs in the House of Commons. There are 209 female peers out of 798 in the House of Lords today,[1][2] up from 199 out of 826 (24%) in 2015, 176 out of 771 (23%) in 2013,[3] and 164 out of 777 (21%) in 2010.[4] Women make up 25% of the total members, compared with 32% for women in the House of Commons.[5][6]

History

Women were excluded from the House of Lords until the Life Peerages Act 1958,[7] passed to address the declining number of active members, made possible the creation of peerages for life. Women were immediately eligible and four were among the first life peers appointed, including Baroness Wootton of Abinger, who was the first women to be appointed,[8] and Baroness Swanborough, who was the first to take her seat.[9] However, hereditary peeresses continued to be excluded until the passage of the Peerage Act 1963;[10] the first to take her seat was Baroness Strange of Knokin.[8]

The first female chief whip was Baroness Llewelyn-Davies of Hastoe in 1973.[8] Baroness Young was the first woman leader of the House of Lords in 1981.[9] Baroness Hale of Richmond became the first female Law Lord in 2004.[8]

Since the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999,[11] hereditary peeresses remain eligible for election to the Upper House; there is one (Countess of Mar) among the 90 hereditary peers who continue to sit.

Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015

Following a change to the law in 2014 to allow women to be ordained bishops, the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 was passed, which provides that whenever a vacancy arises among the Lords Spiritual during the ten years following the Act coming into force, the vacancy has to be filled by a woman, if one is eligible. This does not apply to the five bishops who sit by right.

In 2015, Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester, became the first woman to sit as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lords by party, type of peerage and gender". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "Members of the House of Lords". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Women in the House of Lords" (PDF). Centre for Women and Democracy. October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "Women Members of the House of Lords". Centre for Advancement of Women in Politics. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Election 2017: Record number of female MPs". BBC. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "MPs". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. ↑ UK Parliament. Life Peerages Act 1958 as amended (see also enacted form), from legislation.gov.uk.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Membership and principal office holders". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Firsts for women in Parliament". BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  10. ↑ UK Parliament. Peerage Act 1963 as amended (see also enacted form), from legislation.gov.uk.
  11. ↑ UK Parliament. House of Lords Act 1999 as amended (see also enacted form), from legislation.gov.uk.
  12. ↑ "Rachel Treweek becomes first woman bishop to enter House of Lords". Churchtimes.co.uk. 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2015-10-30.

Further reading

  • "Women in the House of Lords". House of Commons Library. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  • "Women and the House of Lords". UK Parliament website.
    • "Campaigning for women in the Lords". UK Parliament website.
    • "Accommodating women peers". UK Parliament website.
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