Ministerial role

Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Organisations: Office for Equality and Opportunity, Race Equality Unit, Women and Equalities Unit, and Department for Education

Responsibilities

The minister’s responsibilities include:

• lead policy responsibility for gender equality and women’s rights
• sponsorship of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Social Mobility Commission (SMC)
• UK equality framework (including the Equality Act)
• equality data and analysis

The minister also has lead responsibility in the House of Lords on the following policy areas:

• socioeconomic opportunity
• race and ethnicity policy
• Employment Rights Bill (Department for Business and Trade lead)

Previous holders of this role

1. The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern

   2025 to 2026

2. The Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP

   2024 to 2025

Announcements

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• Equality law call for evidence
  • 23 July 2026
  • Call for evidence outcome
• New legislation to keep brothers and sisters connected in care
  • 26 March 2026
  • Press release
• We are appalled by the continued restrictions imposed on the women and girls of Afghanistan: UK statement at the UN Security Council
  • 09 March 2026
  • Speech
• UK Soft Power Council, July 2025: minutes
  • 26 January 2026
  • Policy paper
• £302m for further education colleges to fix dilapidated buildings
  • 01 April 2025
  • Press release
• New partnerships with financial sector to unlock growth in UK and overseas
  • 03 February 2025
  • Press release
• Response to call for input on single-sex spaces guidance
  • 17 December 2024
  • Guidance
• New protections from sexual harassment come into force
  • 26 October 2024
  • Press release
• UK Government celebrates extension of UN Disability Convention to Bermuda
  • 10 October 2024
  • Press release
• Office for Equality and Opportunity to break down barriers to opportunity
  • 09 October 2024
  • Press release

View all announcements