Women in the North of England live shorter lives, work more hours for less pay, are more likely to be an unpaid carer, and more likely to live in poverty than women in other regions of England, according to new research published today.
The damning research – published by Health Equity North – has laid bare the unequal challenges faced by women living in the North of England.
It exposes the growing regional inequalities over the last decade and the impact this has on women’s quality of life, health, work, their families and communities.
‘Woman of the North: Inequality, health andwork’ finds that women living in the North have lower healthy life expectancy, fewer qualifications, worse mental health, and are more likely to suffer domestic violence or to end up in the criminal justice system than their counterparts in the rest of England. In addition, infant mortality is higher and abortions are more common.
The economic cost of these inequalities is also explored in the report which estimates women in the North lose out on a staggering £132m every week, compared to what they would get paid if wages were the same as women in the rest of the country.
Women in the North also contribute £10bn of unpaid care to the UK economy each year.
The report, which has been backed by the North’s two female Mayors Tracy Brabin and Kim McGuinness, puts into sharp focus the devastating effects that austerity, the cost-of-living crisis, economic uncertainty, the pandemic and unequal funding formulas have had on women in northern regions.
Amongst its many findings,Girls born in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber between 2018 and 2020 can only expect to live in good health until 59.7, 62.4 and 62.1 years, respectively.
This is up to four years less than the national average and up to six years less than girls born in the South East.
Women in the North contribute £10bn of unpaid care to the UK economy each year. This is £2bn a year more than if they provided the national average of unpaid care.
The North showed the biggest increases in abortion rates between 2012 and 2021. There has been a demonstrable relationship between austerity, the implementation of the two-child limit, and increased rate of abortions.
Over 25% of pregnant women in the northern regions of England are living in the most deprived 10% of areas with 40% living in the top 20% most deprived areas. In contrast, fewer than 5% of pregnant women in the South East live in the most deprived 10% of areas.
There is higher prevalence of severe mental conditions, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia the North West and North East compared to the South and Yorkshire and Humber. The proportion of women with a diagnosis of a mental health condition who were receiving a treatment was lower in the North West and North East than in the South and Yorkshire and the Humber, indicating a treatment gap between regions.
Women in the North of England suffer the highest rates of domestic violence abuse in the country. The highest rates are in the North East at 19 per 1,000 population followed by 17 in Yorkshire and the Humber then 15 in the North West. The average for the rest of England is 11.
The report recommends a wide range of evidence-informed policy solutions for central government, regional government and the health service which, if implemented, could improve the current situation for women’s health.
Hannah Davies, Executive Director at Health Equity North, said: “Our report provides damning evidence of how women in the North are being failed across the whole span of their lives. Over the last 10 years, women in the North have been falling behind their counterparts in the rest of country, both in terms of the wider determinants of health and, consequently, inequalities in their health.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to turn the tide on the years of damage detailed in this report. But the situation for women’s health in the North can be changed for the better through evidence-based policy interventions.
“We need to see policymakers build on the ambitions outlined in the Women’s Health Strategy for England with focused effort to understand and address the regional inequalities in the many different facets of women’s health.”
Professor Kate Pickett OBE, Academic Co-Director at Health Equity North, and Director of the Public Health & Society Research Group and the York Cost of Living Research Group at the University of York, said: “This report unpacks some of the wide-ranging challenges women face across many aspects of their lives, and the impact of these on their health. For women in the North, these challenges are often felt more deeply.
“We know that much of the inequality we see affecting women in the North is a direct consequence of poverty, which is completely unacceptable in the 6th largest economy in the world. Cuts to welfare and public health funding, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have hit the most deprived communities and the North hardest.
“We hope that the findings and recommendations act as a wake up call for government to make health and addressing health inequalities central to policies going forward.”
