By Dr Daniella Jenkins

Andy Burnham’s first 100 days will set the tone for his government’s priorities. For the Women’s Budget Group, that must begin with putting women’s equality at the heart of decision-making. 

Appointing more women to senior positions should be the starting point. Representation is essential to good governance and better policymaking, but it’s not enough to simply add women and stir. Women’s voices, experiences and needs must be embedded across every area of government policy. 

Burnham’s first priority should be social care. The government must deliver ambitious, long-term reform that recognises the millions of women providing unpaid care and invests in a system that genuinely supports families. Reforms should also address the regional imbalances that have seen too many local authorities financially hamstrung by supporting a fundamentally flawed model. 

Second, devolution must work for women. As powers are transferred to regions and local authorities, gender equality cannot be overlooked. Decisions about housing, transport, employment and public services must be designed with women’s lives in mind. Building more homes is important, but so is ensuring people can access jobs, schools, hospitals and childcare. Women’s economic participation should be a core measure of success in regional growth strategies. 

Third, if growth is to be truly ‘good’, the government must adopt a gender-responsive approach to economic policy. Fiscal responsibility and market confidence matter, but they must go hand in hand with advancing gender equality. Success cannot be judged by GDP alone. Is economic policy improving women’s lives? Is it reducing long-standing inequalities such as child poverty?  

The government must recognise that women’s economic equality is fundamental to economic success. That means taking meaningful action to close the gender pay, earnings and pensions gaps. These structural inequalities have been normalised for too long. Tackling them from the very start must be central to the government’s economic agenda.

Dr Daniella Jenkins is Executive Director at the Women’s Budget Group. The Women’s Budget Group is the UK’s leading feminist economics think tank, providing evidence and analysis on women’s economic position and proposing policy alternatives for a gender-equal economy. 

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