What are the trends for women's equality in the UK and across the globe? This document provides background statistics for International Women's Day 2015, examining international comparisons and UK-specific data.
International Women's Day 2015: Background and statistics (697 KB, PDF)
8 March is International Women's Day. This year the global theme is Make it Happen, encouraging effective action for advancing and recognising women. Around the world, organisations, government and women's groups come together to mark the past, present and future economic, political and social achievements of women.
Although there have been shifts in society about women's equality since the first International Women's Day in 1911, significant issues remain. Internationally, there are inequalities in education, in access to wage employment, and in health. Gender-based violence is present in every society in the world, and more than 125 million women and girls alive today have undergone Female Genital Mutilation.
In the UK, on average, women working full-time earn 9.5% less than men. Although women make up 51% of the population in the UK, only 23% of MPs, 25% of judges and 21% FTSE 100 company directors are female.
International Women's Day 2015: Background and statistics (697 KB, PDF)
This House of Commons Library Briefing Paper sets out the current (2020/21) rates of Members' pay and ministerial salaries. It provides background to recent changes. It also notes changes in the rules relating to and budget limits for Members' expenses since 2010.
This Commons Library Briefing Paper provides information about which groups in the UK are considered to be politically disengaged, and why. This paper will use the term ‘political disengagement’ to capture certain behaviours and attitudes towards the political system. It uses a range of different sources, which are referenced in the PDF.
This Commons Library briefing paper deals with the Registers of Births and Deaths Bill, a Private Member's Bill introduced by Andrew Mitchell. The Bill would reform the way in which births and deaths are registered in England and Wales, moving from a paper-based system to registration in an electronic register. The Bill is awaiting report stage in the House of Commons.
