“It’s a damning reminder of the deep inequalities women in the North continue to face in health, in work, and in opportunity.”
Women living in the North of England are missing out on a staggering £158 million in wages every week compared to their counterparts in other regions. They are also more likely to be out of work due to disability or long-term illness, according to alarming new research by Health Equity North. The findings confirm that regional inequality remains entrenched, and in many cases, is getting worse.
Northern women work longer hours for lower pay, are more likely to live in poverty, have fewer qualifications, and face a shorter life expectancy than women in other parts of the country. They are also more likely to take on unpaid caring responsibilities.
The average weekly salary for women in the North falls well below the national average of £672, and even further below the £805 average in London. In the North East, women earn just £601 a week on average, £615 in Yorkshire and the Humber, and £641 in the North West. This amounts to an annual loss of around £8.2 billion in earnings for women in the North when compared to the national average.
Life expectancy also confirms this regional divide. While the national average is 83 years, and 84 for those born in London and the South East, girls born in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber between 2021 and 2023 can expect to live only to around 81–82 years.
Unpaid care is another area where Northern women bear a disproportionate burden. Around one in five women aged 55–59 in the North provide unpaid care, contributing an estimated £10 billion annually, a significant portion of the £57 billion of unpaid care delivered across England each year.
Health Equity North is calling for urgent action to address these disparities, including expanding access to education and training opportunities for women and girls throughout their lives. The organisation proposes using policies like the Adult Education Budget to make lifelong learning more accessible.
Dr. Luke Munford, academic co-director at Health Equity North and senior lecturer in health economics at the University of Manchester, emphasised the worsening nature of these disparities: “Women continue to be impacted by regional inequalities, and our latest research shows that there is no indication of these inequalities narrowing – in fact, we’re seeing the opposite – the inequalities are getting bigger.
“Rising long-term illness and disability, coupled with lower wages and other detrimental factors, have seen women trapped in a cycle that can only be broken by implementing ambitious and long-term targeted policies and support.”
On May 7, Health Equity North held a Woman of the North summit, launching Women of the North Charter was launched.
Northern mayors Kim McGuinness and Tracy Brabin, who spoke at the event, urged fellow leaders to use their devolved powers to drive change.
Kim McGuinness, mayor of the North East, said:“The reality laid bare in this new analysis is unacceptable. It’s a damning reminder of the deep inequalities women in the North continue to face in health, in work, and in opportunity. It’s why I’m backing the Woman of the North Charter and committing to action that creates opportunities and delivers real change.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, called the figures a “damning indictment of modern Britain,” adding: “… where successive governments have failed to fix these inequalities, devolution is turning the tide.”
Health Equity North is calling for bold ambition to boost the health outcomes for all women and girls, offering the right care at every stage of their life.
“We need tailored care for marginalised women, including minoritised ethnic women, women who have experience of the criminal justice system, women experiencing homelessness, women who are care leavers, sex workers, and neurodiverse women,” states the report.
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