Women’s Work: How Gender Equality Can Deliver Strong Local Communities

Despite decades of campaigning and significant legislative progress, structural and systemic barriers to gender equality in local and national economies persist. This is, in part, because they are deeply rooted in long-standing gender roles, norms, and stereotypes – which, often unintentionally, uphold and reinforce the existence of barriers to women’s economic inclusion.

The barriers to paid work encountered by women, and disadvantages including underemployment and lower pay mean that £88.7bn of Gross Value Added (GVA) is lost to Britain’s economy every year. Local, combined and devolved authorities can, however, have a transformational impact on supporting gender equality in their local economies.

Through detailed socioeconomic analysis and engaging directly with women from all different walks of life, this research provides an understanding of the challenges associated with gender inequality and the barriers that women in Leeds face.

This joint paper therefore, proposes an agenda for change towards gender inclusion.