The lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increasing focus on mental health, particularly that of children and young people. In this blog, Dr Ola Demkowicz examines the emphasis on resilience in this age group, and suggests how policymakers can better support young people’s wellbeing, while moving away from placing the onus on […]
What COVID-19 tells us about the value of human labour
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, a radical reassessment of what is considered ‘key work’ has taken place. For many key workers, however, this status is not reflected in their salary, employment rights, or social perception. Here, Abbie Winton and Professor Debra Howcroft, from the Work and Equalities Institute, discuss the disproportionate risk/reward equation […]
Suicide prevention in action: an update on the national programme
Nicola Richards, Research Assistant, and Cathryn Rodway, Programme Manager and Research Associate, work for the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH). In this blog, they discuss the progress of national investment in suicide prevention, and give examples of good practice developed from local quality improvement plans that should help to […]
Gender and ageing
As populations are now much more likely than ever to survive into old age, understanding how gender impacts all domains of wellbeing in later life has become critical. In this blog, Professor Debora Price argues that all policy analysis should be sensitive to gender and its interactions with other characteristics of disadvantage in later life. It […]
Gender and sexual violence
Sexual violence can have devastating consequences for victims. In this blog, Dr Catherine White, Dr Rabiya Majeed-Ariss and Professor David Gadd explore how gender intersects with social demographic characteristics to compound vulnerabilities and complicate access to services. Most adult victims of sexual violence are females, and perpetrators of sexual violence are predominantly male. In 2017, […]
In their own words: Women and austerity in Greater Manchester
In the eight years between 2010 and 2018, local authorities in England saw a reduction in Government funding of just less than 50%, with Manchester the tenth most affected council in the country. In this blog, Anna Sanders looks at how austerity policies have affected women in the Greater Manchester region, with a focus on transport […]
Fathers and care
In this blog, Dr Helen Norman, Professor Colette Fagan, and Dr Nina Teasdale examine the political and economic influences which dissuade involvement in childcare by fathers. They explore what might encourage greater involvement, and suggest ways to embed this in local and national policy. National policy focuses on helping mothers rather than fathers to adapt […]
Ethnicity and gender in the Greater Manchester labour market
While male employment levels are roughly equal between ethnicities, women from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to be employed than their white peers. Here, Professor Ruth Lupton explores the reasons behind this disparity, and how policy and data-based approaches can help address it. Around 75% of white men are employed, while for the larger […]
Striving for gender balance in the IT industry
Early computing was dominated by women, most often working as machine operators. Since the 1970s, however, they have been side-lined by the tech industry, replaced by higher paid men. Professor Debra Howcroft critically examines the increasingly gendered environment within the IT sector, and offers solutions to encourage women to return to the industry they played […]
The gender pay gap in Greater Manchester: What it tells us and what it doesn’t tell us about gender equality
The gender pay gap is considered a key indicator of gender equality as a whole. Here, Professor Jill Rubery breaks down the data behind local and national pay disparity, and offers policy based solutions which positively affect both male and female workers. The narrower gender pay gap in Greater Manchester, compared to England as a […]