The shadow minister for women and equalities (previously shadow minister for women, shadow minister for women and equality, shadow secretary of state for women and equalities) is a position in the United Kingdom's
Official Opposition, and sits in the Shadow Cabinet. The shadow minister is responsible for holding the
minister for women and equalities, responsible for the
Government Equalities Office, to account and is responsible for Opposition policy on women's and equality issues.
The post was upgraded to the Shadow
Cabinet rank of
shadow secretary of state following the
snap general election of 2017, with
Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...
indicating that if Labour win office at the next election, Women and Equalities will be upgraded to the full status of a
government department
Ministry or department (also less commonly used secretariat, office, or directorate) are designations used by first-level Executive (government), executive bodies in the Machinery of government, machinery of governments that manage a specific se ...
.
Keir Starmer continued this pledge but ultimately continued with a
Minister for Women and Equalities when he entered government in July 2024. Previously, the post was often held together with a
Shadow Cabinet post, but sometimes as a Shadow Cabinet post in its own right.
The position, since its creation in 1983, has always been held by a female
member of parliament. The position has been held by
Mims Davies of the
Conservative Party since 8 July 2024.
Shadow ministers
See also
*
Official Opposition frontbench
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shadow Minister For Women And Equalities
Official Opposition (United Kingdom)
Government Equalities Office