Gateshead Council to establish first 'Women and Girls' committee

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Gateshead Council is poised to create its first ‘women and girls’ committee by February this year. 

The local authority’s top bosses will convene next week to agree on the creation of the new committee. According to council documents, the committee will consider and make recommendations to tackle gender inequalities. 

Moves to lay the groundwork for the committee were approved in September last year. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, women’s health, economic inclusion, domestic abuse, and women’s safety in the hospitality industry. The committee will consist of 18 members including 12 councillors, the chair of the existing health and wellbeing board, the chair of the community safety partnership and six external representatives. 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
LDRS

Council documents regarding the committee read: “The Women & Girls Committee will support the council by raising awareness of gender inequality and the impact this has on the lives of all women and girls in Gateshead. The Women & Girls Committee will champion positive progress on gender inequality in the borough; and help to identify gaps and opportunities to increase the rate of change. ” 

The creation of the committee also comes following a report of women’s inequalities, published in March 2023, by Gateshead’s director of public health Alice Wiseman. 

The report found while women in Gateshead live on average 4.2 years longer than men (81.6 years in contrast to 77.4), they do so in poorer health. The report also referenced a survey in 2021 which found that one in 56 women in Gateshead reported domestic abuse. 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

One in five women referred to Gateshead’s Domestic Abuse Team were either pregnant or had recently given birth. Nearly a quarter (23%) of single female pensioners are also logged as economically disadvantaged, the highest figure in 15 years. 

Gateshead Council’s cabinet will meet on January 21 at the authority’s civic centre, to approve the creation of the committee.

Words: Austen Shakespeare (LDRS)

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice