Women in North of England live shorter lives, more likely to be in poverty and work harder for less

Women in the North of England live shorter lives, work more hours for less pay and are more likely to live in poverty than women in other regions, new research has found.

Health Equity North has found that girls born in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber regions between 2018 and 2020 can only expect to live in good health until they are 59.7, 62.4 and 62.1 years old, respectively.

That is up to four years less than the national average and up to six years less than girls born in the South East.

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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.”

The report revealed that women in the North are paid less for their work, losing out on around £132m each week compared with what they would get if they received the same wages as women elsewhere in the country. It is a total loss of £6.86bn a year.

An average weekly wage for a woman in the North East is £569. It’s £598 in the North West, and £567 in Yorkshire and Humber. By comparison, the national average is £625 and the London average is £757.

Professor Kate Pickett, academic co-director at Health Equity North, said: “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 sixth 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.”

Women in the North contribute £10bn of unpaid care to the UK economy each year, which is £2bn more than if they provided the national average of unpaid care. This is because women in the North are more likely to be unpaid carers, with one in five women aged 55 to 59 providing care to a family member because of illness, disability, mental health or substance abuse.

There are also further health inequalities. The North showed the biggest increases in abortion rates between 2012 and 2021, which researchers have connected to austerity and the implementation of the two-child limit on benefits.

More than a quarter of of pregnant women in the North of England are living in the top 10% most deprived areas in the country.

There are higher rates of severe mental health conditions – such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – in the North West and the North East.

Women in the North are also more likely to face domestic abuse. In the North East, 19 per 1,000 women have suffered domestic abuse, compared with a national average of 11 per 1,000 women.

There were the highest rates of deaths for alcoholism among women in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber. And in 2022, nine of the 10 police areas with the highest rates of female imprisonment were in the North of England.

Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “While the findings of this report will resonate with every woman and girl in West Yorkshire, they must now act as a vital wake up call to everyone in a position of power.

“As political leaders, we all have a responsibility to listen to and act on the lived experience of women and girls, and devolution is helping us to turn the tide in West Yorkshire, with the first ever women’s safety unit in the country and bold action to deliver a Sure Start renaissance.

“I welcome this timely and significant report, and pledge to do all I can to continue building a brighter region that works for all, by always working in partnership with the women and girls of West Yorkshire.”

The report recommends a range of policy solutions for central government, regional government and the health service to improve the current situation for women’s health. This includes helping women navigate the benefits system and extending financial support beyond the current social security system, as well as delivering a national health inequalities strategy and a sustainable childcare model.

North East mayor Kim McGuinness added: “From leaving school to the boardroom, at home and at work, women and girls across the North bear the brunt of failings in our economy, society and public services. The lack of equality and opportunity that remains ingrained in modern Britain is unacceptable.

“As Mayor I’m determined to make the North East the home of real opportunity – and that means breaking down barriers which hold women and girls back. I will drive wholesale reform of the support we provide in schools, in our skills system, in childcare and in industries where too often women are shut out or overlooked. I welcome this report as a roadmap to a fairer, more equal North of England.”

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