When the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) comes into being in May 2024, it will be responsible for the aspirations and life chances of over one million women and girls living in County Durham, Sunderland, South Tyneside, Gateshead, North Tyneside, Northumberland and Newcastle. NEMCA will have responsibility for key areas of policy including: economic development; adult education and skills; transport; housing and regeneration. 

This major change in decision making in our region brings a unique opportunity to do things differently. Too often policy makers assume women and men use public services in the same way, but this is often not the case. 

For example, women are more likely to work in low-paid sectors, have insecure employment and are the majority of low-paid, part-time, temporary, zero-hours and self-employed workers. Together these factors mean women are more likely to live in poverty, with fewer assets and lower incomes over their lifetimes. And too few women work in the industries that will create good new jobs in our region in the future - such as digital, advanced manufacturing and renewables.  

The One Million Women and Girls campaign is calling for policy making by NEMCA that understands the challenges facing the region's women and girls and takes concrete, practical action to improve their life chances. Understanding and responding to the specific needs of women and girls results in better policy making, that works for everyone. We are asking all mayoral candidates to sign up to the following pledges.

1.    I/we will take practical steps to improve the lives of women and girls in our region.

2.    I/we will work with partners to ensure women and girls can access safe transport, can access housing, good quality jobs, training, and adult education.

3.     I/we will listen to women and girls from all communities and act on what they tell me/us to understand what they need / the barriers they face.

4.    I/we will put in place systems and structures to ensure equality for women and girls.

5.     I /we will explicitly consider the specific impact on women and girls of every policy / strategy we develop, seeking to maximize positive and mitigate negative impacts. 

We advocate taking an intersectional approach to maximising the potential of all women and girls which means listening to the lived experience of any marginalised group, including: disabled women; lesbians, bi-sexual and trans women; migrant women; older and younger women; pregnant women; racially minoritised women; working class women, and developing policy responses that meet their needs. This campaign is trans-inclusive.