Women still earn around £8,000 less than men in the Liverpool City Region, a new report has identified.
The One Day Today document, launched by civic group ‘One Day’ has been launched on International Women’s Day to highlight some of the gender inequality in the Liverpool City Region.
More than 30,000 women are unable to work because they are looking after a family or home, compared to 8,100 men, according to the report.
READ MORE: International Women's Day: Incredible women inspiring the next generation on Merseyside
Narrowing the gender gap between women and men could add an additional £230 million every year to Liverpool City Region’s economy, analysis by accounting firm, Deloitte, found.
Mayors Joanne Anderson and Steve Rotheram, who attended the launch of the report, have supported commitments to achieving greater gender equality across the city region.
It sets out 10 key objectives, including more women in leadership, supporting more women-led projects and investment in industries proven to drive economic growth such as care, hospitality, and culture - and deliver wellbeing at the same time.
The Combined Authority published its detailed response to the report, aimed at addressing those areas within the power of the regional authority, such as achieving gender balance in its workforce, co-development of projects that address inequality, and implementing frameworks that result in more inclusive investment approaches.
Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, said: “This International Women’s Day, I commend the work of the One Day group who have brought forward this important report and am very pleased to see the collaboration between One Day and the Combined Authority on how we take it forward.
“Today must mark a renewed commitment and focus on addressing gender equality and the response of the authority will help us make further progress on this vital issue.”
Mayor Anderson has asked for a gender equality panel to be established for the city region to take a more “coordinated, collaborative action to address gender inequality in our region.”
Dr. Fiona Armstrong-Gibbs, lead author of the report and Programme Leader at Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, said it came about through a collaboration between LJMU and over 100 women.
Dr Armstrong-Gibbs added that the report “gives a voice to women in the region – and highlights unpaid care, unaffordable childcare, social care and the gender pay gap that inhibits our economic potential and every employer in the region has a “responsibility to address this.”
She said: “It’s really important to take the time to develop relationships between activists, researchers and policy makers and we are hoping that stronger relationship emerging between everyone to tackle the inequalities women face everyday."
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added that it was vital to “recognise the often-overlooked contributions of women to our economy and society” who make up half the region’s population but “disproportionately work in its lowest paid and most insecure industries.”
He said: “In a region like ours, where fairness and social justice are ingrained in us from an early age, that just isn’t right."
Metro Mayor Rotheram said ensuring the city region was the fairest, most incluvie and equitable place possible started with "tackling the inequalities women face every day in their work and social lives" and pledged to listen and engage with those who have the answers.
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