The job title Minister for Women appears to have vanished from government after 25 years.
Liz Truss omitted the title from her new-look Cabinet after becoming Britain’s third female Prime Minister.
Instead the work will be done by Nadhim Zahawi who has the title Minister for Equalities, Downing Street said.
No10 did not rule out the 'Women' title being given to a more junior minister, details of which were still being announced this afternoon.
But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman also said: “The title has changed slightly”.
It appeared to be the first time the word Women had not appeared in an equalities minister’s job title since Harriet Harman was made Minister for Women in 1997.
There have been a mixture of two separate Ministers for Women and Equalities, or one person doing both jobs, since 1997. Women - including Liz Truss - had always held the Minister for Women title.
It comes despite Liz Truss saying during the Tory leadership campaign “I know that a woman is a woman” in debates over trans rights.
Asked about the omission, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The equalities brief has not changed.
“You heard the Prime Minister during the campaign talk about her focus on women’s rights and her desire to have a national domestic abuse register.”
Speaking of Nadhim Zahawi - who is also Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations - the spokesman said: “The policy areas which relate to him still apply including those related to women.
“He is minister for equalities which include the policies as before which relate to women.”
Asked if the title had been abolished he replied: “The title has changed slightly.”
Defending the change, he said: “I believe that the people of the UK will be focused on the actions the government takes to protect women, including introducing a National Domestic Abuse Register.
“I believe it is the actions the government take on which we will be judged, rather than job titles of individuals.”
Former PM Theresa May - and ex-Minister for Women and Equalities herself - congratulated the third female premier at PMQs.
She also ribbed Labour, saying: “Can I ask her why does she think it is that all three female prime ministers have been Conservative?"
It came after Ms Truss’ Cabinet reshuffle was criticised for ousting supporters of Rishi Sunak.
Despite her saying she wanted Mr Sunak to work in her Cabinet during the campaign, Ms Truss’ Press Secretary declined to say if he’d been offered a job.
In a wide-ranging briefing to journalists, Downing Street hinted the fracking ban could be lifted when Liz Truss sets out Thursday’s package to help with energy bills.
In her campaign she said “I support exploring fracking in parts of the United Kingdom where that can be done".
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister's press secretary said: "She made clear her position during the campaign but I'm not going to get into what's in this energy package."
He insisted the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto currently stands in full, but would not say if that would end tomorrow.
He added: "I'm not going to get into what's in the energy statement tomorrow."
No10 also refused to rule out a new Queen’s Speech after the Bill of Rights was shelved and Ms Truss warned of changes to the Online Harms Bill.
On Brexit, No10 did not rule out extending a September 15 deadline to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Downing Street said an NHS plan to focus on Covid backlogs and ensure people can get a GP appointment will come within weeks.
No10 confirmed Liz Truss will visit the UN General Assembly in New York in two weeks and wants to visit Ukraine “soon”.
And No10 refused to say the PM would replace Boris Johnson’s ethics advisor Lord Geidt, or abolish his role entirely.
Liz Truss’ spokesman said she “wants to consider the best way to achieve the functions of that role and level of oversight to ensure the government is held to the highest standards, as the public would expect.”
No10 also refused to say when Liz Truss would publish her tax affairs - something she committed to in the campaign.
Downing Street said Liz Truss "remains committed" to slashing 91,000 civil servants by 2025 but the spokesman was “not aware” of plans to water down laws on the 48-hour week, briefed during her campaign.
