Let's talk: women and local government devolution

Lewis, Erica ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0574-598X (2025) Let's talk: women and local government devolution. In: Labour Women's Network panel discussion, 23 October 2025, Online. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Dr Erica Lewis, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Leadership & Social Sustainability at the University of Cumbria, and former Leader of Lancaster City Council, joined a high-level panel to discuss women and local government devolution. Local government devolution has brought about a complex set of pros and cons for women. While, in theory, it has created opportunities for greater political representation and the development of policies tailored to women's needs, there are also significant challenges, particularly concerning representation and the potential for a lack of a cohesive, gender-informed approach across the country. With an accelerated devolution agenda, we would like to explore what the Government and the Party can do to make women an equal partner in Local Government devolution.

Dr Lewis is currently undertaking research and advocacy work to build a focus on gender and equality in devolution. As an active member of the Labour Women's Network training team, Dr Lewis advocated for the hosting of this panel. Dr Lewis drew on her expertise in working with international human rights frameworks to highlight the obligations that devolved authorities should meet in terms of consultation, policy and budget obligations under treaties like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERd) and others. The other members of the panel included: MP and Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Florence Eshalomi; Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council and Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Councillor Sharon Thompson; Local Government and Devolution Adviser, Hannah Lazell.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Other)
Departments:	Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Applied Transformative Education and Leadership
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2025 10:47
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2025 10:48
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/9200

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