Ministerial role

Minister for Women and Equalities

Contents

Responsibilities

The Minister for Women and Equalities has overall responsibility for:

  • policy on women
  • policy on sexual orientation and transgender equality
  • cross-government equality strategy and legislation

Before July 2014, this role was covered by the Minister for Women and the Minister for Equalities.

Current role holder: The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP

Penny Mordaunt was appointed Secretary of State for International Development on 9 November 2017. She was appointed Minister for Women and Equalities on 30 April 2018. She was Minister of State for Department for Work and Pensions from 15 July 2016 to 9 November 2017. She was elected Conservative MP for Portsmouth North in 2010.

Education

She was educated at Oaklands RC Comprehensive School and at Reading University where she read Philosophy.

Political career

Penny worked for Conservative Central Office, becoming Head of Broadcasting under William Hague. In 2000 she served as Head of Foreign Press for George W. Bush’s presidential election campaign.

In Parliament, Penny served on the European Scrutiny Committee, Defence Select Committee, and as chairman of the APPGs for Life Science and for Ageing and Older People. In autumn 2013 she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence, Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP. She served as Minister of State for the Armed Forces from May 2015 until July 2016.

Career outside politics

Penny worked as an aid worker in post-revolutionary Romania before and during university. She was director of communications at Kensington & Chelsea Council and the Freight Transport Association and was a director of Diabetes UK, the Community Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. In 2004 Penny founded a media company, which she sold in 2010.

More about this person

Previous holders of this role

  1. The Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP

    • 2018 to 2018

  2. The Rt Hon Justine Greening MP

    • 2016 to 2018

  3. The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan

    • 2014 to 2016

Announcements

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  1. Government announces new Code of Practice to tackle sexual harassment at work

    • Press release

  2. Fund launched to support disabled candidates stand for office

    • Press release

  3. Bright Blue’s Women in Work conference speech

    • Speech

  4. Penny Mordaunt’s new mission for Government Equalities Office

    • Press release

  5. New research will examine effect of gender norms on men and boys

    • Press release

  6. Government Equalities Office to join Cabinet Office

    • Statement to Parliament

  7. Penny Mordaunt: "I see a chamber filled with powerful and strong women".

    • Speech

  8. Elected women from around the world tackle gender equality

    • Press release

  9. LGBT Advisory Panel Recruitment

    • News story

  10. £2.6 million to improve lives of LGBT people

    • Press release
View all announcements