The government, including the prime minister, have previously rejected the idea, with Boris Johnson saying in October 2021: “If you simply widen the scope of what you ask the police to do, you’ll just increase the problem.”

In December, the Law Commission, an independent body that recommends legal changes for England and Wales, rejected a proposal to make misogyny a hate crime after concluding that it would not solve the “real problem” of hostility or prejudice directed against women because of their sex or gender. Instead, it recommended that the government consider introducing a specific offence to tackle public sexual harassment.

But despite this opposition, the amendment passed in the Lords on Monday night, thanks to support from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, with 242 peers backing it versus 185 voting against.

The government did add a number of new measures designed to help protect women to the bill, including extending the length of time domestic abuse victims have to report a crime and the introduction of a breastfeeding voyeurism offence, which have yet to be voted on by the Lords.

Police Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill: House of Lords votes to make misogyny a hate crime and rejects crackdowns on protests