Minister for Women and Equalities

The position of Minister for Women and Equalities has had a few name changes, beginning with just ‘Minister for Women’ in 1997. Its high turnover of post-holders, who so far have always been women, perhaps reflects its delicate, widely ranging territory and potential for causing controversy.

Until July 2026, it was not a stand-alone role, but was attached to an existing portfolio of government responsibility. Although the role has now been expanded from women’s rights to include rights for a variety of groups under the Equality Act 2010, it does not involve running a Ministry as such. Instead, the Minister is head of the Office for Equality, the Race Equality Unit, the Women & Equalities Unit and a National Taskforce on Misogyny, all of which are within the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

In Scotland’s devolved government, the equivalent position is a junior ministerial role. Its first title was Minister for Older People and Equalities in 2018, then the issues of migration and refugees were added and the title is now Minister for Equalities and International Development. Wales has its Minister for Social Justice and Equality, while Northern Ireland has had Commissions and Councils on different aspects of equality since the late 1990s.

(Image: DFID at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0)