This week the Marmot Review revealed that life expectancy in England has stalled after a decade of austerity. Even more striking was the finding that women in the poorest communities are living shorter lives than in 2011.
Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, wealth in the UK is deeply unevenly distributed. This is a feminist issue, as women typically own fewer assets than men. This has real world consequences, including shorter lives, poorer health and a more precarious existence. This problem is exacerbated by the tax system, which treats wealth much more generously than consumption or income from work. Addressing wealth inequality, and in particular ensuring that women have better access to resources, should be a priority if the government is to make good its commitment to “level up” the left behind areas of the country.
The Women’s Budget Group want to do something about this. As a group of leading feminist economists, they’ve launched the Commission on a Gender-Equal Economy to develop an alternative economic approach, so that gender equality becomes a reality in the UK economy. I’ve submitted evidence on wealth, tax and gender.
