Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities

{{Infobox official post

| post = Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities

| image = Mims Davies.jpg

| alt =

| incumbent = Mims Davies

| incumbentsince = 8 July 2024

| department = Shadow Cabinet

| appointer = Leader of the Opposition

| formation = 31 October 1983

| first = Jo Richardson

| website = [http://www.labour.org.uk/people/filter/c/shadow-cabinet Shadow Cabinet]

| body =

}}

The shadow minister for women and equalities (previously shadow minister for women, shadow minister for women and equality, shadow secretary of state for women and equalities) is a position in the United Kingdom's Official Opposition, and sits in the Shadow Cabinet. The shadow minister is responsible for holding the minister for women and equalities, responsible for the Government Equalities Office, to account and is responsible for Opposition policy on women's and equality issues.

The post was upgraded to the Shadow Cabinet rank of shadow secretary of state following the snap general election of 2017, with Jeremy Corbyn indicating that if Labour win office at the next election, Women and Equalities will be upgraded to the full status of a government department. Keir Starmer continued this pledge but ultimately continued with a Minister for Women and Equalities when he entered government in July 2024. Previously, the post was often held together with a Shadow Cabinet post, but sometimes as a Shadow Cabinet post in its own right.

The position, since its creation in 1983, has always been held by a female member of parliament. The position has been held by Mims Davies of the Conservative Party since 8 July 2024.

Shadow ministers

class="wikitable" ! colspan=3 \| Shadow Minister ! Took office ! Left office ! Party ! Shadow Cabinet
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Jo Richardson \| \| 31 October 1983{{cite news \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K_s9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=K0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5830,70146&dq=jo+richardson&hl=en \|title=Protest by Nationalists as Dewar takes over \|date=1 November 1983 \|work=The Glasgow Herald \|first=Geoffrey \|last=Parkhouse \|page=7}} \| 18 July 1992 \| rowspan="6" \| Labour \| Kinnock
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Mo Mowlam \| 60px \| 18 July 1992{{cite web \|last=Timmins \|first= Nicholas \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/smith-revamps-shadow-cabinet-nicholas-timmins-analyses-the-labour-lineup-and-looks-at-the-backgrounds-of-the-newcomers-1535256.html \|title=Smith revamps Shadow Cabinet: Nicholas Timmins analyses the Labour line-up and looks at the backgrounds of the newcomers \|work=The Independent \|date=25 July 1992 \|accessdate=2 June 2011}} \| 21 October 1993 \| rowspan=2 \| Smith
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| rowspan=2 \| Clare Short \| rowspan=2 \| 60px \| rowspan=2 \| 21 October 1993{{cite news \|last=Lynton \|first=Martin \|title=Women's lists 'not illegal': The New Shadow Cabinet \|work=The Guardian \|date=22 October 1993}} \| rowspan=2 \| 19 October 1995
rowspan=3 \| Blair
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Tessa Jowell \| 60px \| 19 October 1995{{cite web \|title=Blair turns tables in front bench 'clearout' \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/blair-turns-tables-in-front-bench-clearout-1578445.html \|date=20 October 1995 \|work=The Independent \|last1=Davies \|first1=Patricia Wynn \|author2=Donald Macintyre \|author2-link=Donald Macintyre (journalist) \|accessdate=14 November 2013}} \| 26 July 1996{{#tag:ref\|Blair conducted a minor reshuffle of his shadow cabinet on 26 July 1996. As Anderson was in post and Shadow Minister for Women by 21 August 1996{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/women-in-revealing-clothes-have-no-redress-says-lawyer-1310712.html \|title=Women in revealing clothes have no redress, says lawyer \|last1=Boggan \|first1=Steve \|last2=Raif \|first2=Shenai \|work=The Independent \|date=21 August 1996 \|accessdate=14 November 2013}} (and Jowell as a Shadow Health minister by 15 September),{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letternurse-search-1363419.html \|title=Letter: Nurse Search \|work=The Independent \|date=15 September 1996 \|accessdate=14 November 2013}} the change likely occurred at that 26 July reshuffle.\|group=n\|name="JowellAnderson"}}
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Janet Anderson \| 60px \| 26 July 1996 \| 2 May 1997
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \| Gillian Shephard \| 60px \| 2 May 1997 \| Unknown \| rowspan="8" \| Conservative \| Major
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \| colspan=4 \| Unclear{{#tag:ref\|No sources currently note any individual as holding this role for the Conservatives when Labour entered Government at the 1997 election and created the position of Minister for Women, but no source proves there was not one. Before the Conservatives' defeat, Gillian Shephard, John Major's Education Secretary, spoke on women's issues. She largely delegated the responsibility to a junior minister, Cheryl Gillan.{{cite web \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jowell-to-be-britains-first-guardian-of-public-health-1260126.html \|title=Jowell to be first guardian of public health \|last=Abrams \|first=Fran \|work=The Independent \|date=7 May 1997 \|accessdate=14 November 2013}} The only parliamentary debate that obviously fell under the portfolio of the Minister for Women during the term of Harriet Harman (May 1997 to July 1998) occurred on 27 February 1998. It was a set-piece debate, meaning the order of speakers was opening minister, opening shadow minister, backbenchers, closing shadow minister, closing minister. Harman opened, followed by Shepard. The closing speeches were given by Gillan for the Conservatives and Joan Ruddock, Harman's deputy, for the Government.{{cite web \|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1998/feb/27/women-government-priorities#S6CV0307P0_19980227_HOC_29 \|title=House of Commons Debates, 27 February 1998 c. 607–80 \|work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) \|date=27 February 1998 \|access-date=14 November 2013}} A similar debate was held on 8 March 1999. The Minister for Women was a peer, Baroness Jay of Paddington, so her deputy, Tessa Jowell, opened the debate for the Government; Theresa May opened for the Conservatives. Virginia Bottomley closed for the Opposition, and Margaret Hodge did so for Labour.{{cite web \|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1999/mar/08/women#S6CV0327P0_19990308_HOC_176 \|title=House of Commons Debates 8 March 1999 c. 34–120 \|work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) \|date=8 March 1999 \|access-date=14 November 2013}}\|group=n}} \| rowspan=2 \| Hague
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \| Theresa May \| 60px \| 15 June 1999 \| 14 September 2001
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \| rowspan=2 \| Caroline Spelman \| rowspan=2 \| 60px \| rowspan=2 \| 14 September 2001 \| rowspan=2 \| 15 March 2004 \| Duncan Smith
rowspan=2 \| Howard
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \| rowspan=2 \| Eleanor Laing \| rowspan=2 \| 60px \| rowspan=2 \| 15 March 2004 \| rowspan=2 \| 2 July 2007
rowspan=2 \| Cameron
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \| Theresa May \| 60px \| 2 July 2007 \| 11 May 2010
rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| rowspan=2 \| Yvette Cooper \| rowspan=2 \| 80x80px \| rowspan=2 \| 20 May 2010 \| rowspan=2 \| 7 October 2013 \| rowspan="10" \| Labour \| Harman I
rowspan=2 \| Miliband
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 1px {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" height=30 \| \| rowspan=2 \| Gloria De Piero \| rowspan=2 \| 60px \| rowspan=2 \| 7 October 2013 \| rowspan=2 \| 14 September 2015
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Harman II
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Kate Green \| 60px \| 14 September 2015 \| 27 June 2016 \| rowspan="4" \| Corbyn
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Angela Rayner \| 80x80px \| 27 June 2016 \| 6 October 2016
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Sarah Champion{{cite web \|url=https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/784076599033532416 \|title=Sarah Champion takes Angela Rayner's second brief - women and equalities. \|work=Jessica Elgot, Twitter \|date=6 October 2016 \|accessdate=6 October 2016}} \| 80x80px \| 6 October 2016 \| 16 August 2017
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Dawn Butler \| 80x80px \| 31 August 2017 \| 6 April 2020
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \| Marsha de Cordova \| 60px \| 6 April 2020 \| 14 September 2021 \| rowspan="2" \|Starmer
style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (UK)}}" \| \|Anneliese Dodds \|80x80px \|21 September 2021 \|4 July 2024
style="background-color: {{party color\|Conservative Party (UK)}}" \| \|Mims Davies \|80x80px \|8 July 2024 \|Incumbent \| rowspan="1" \| Conservative \| rowspan="1" \|Sunak

class="wikitable"

! colspan=3 | Shadow Minister

! Took office

! Left office

! Party

! Shadow Cabinet

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Jo Richardson

| 31 October 1983{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K_s9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=K0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5830,70146&dq=jo+richardson&hl=en |title=Protest by Nationalists as Dewar takes over |date=1 November 1983 |work=The Glasgow Herald |first=Geoffrey |last=Parkhouse |page=7}}

| 18 July 1992

| rowspan="6" | Labour

| Kinnock

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Mo Mowlam

| 60px

| 18 July 1992{{cite web |last=Timmins |first= Nicholas |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/smith-revamps-shadow-cabinet-nicholas-timmins-analyses-the-labour-lineup-and-looks-at-the-backgrounds-of-the-newcomers-1535256.html |title=Smith revamps Shadow Cabinet: Nicholas Timmins analyses the Labour line-up and looks at the backgrounds of the newcomers |work=The Independent |date=25 July 1992 |accessdate=2 June 2011}}

| 21 October 1993

| rowspan=2 | Smith

rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | Clare Short

| rowspan=2 | 60px

| rowspan=2 | 21 October 1993{{cite news |last=Lynton |first=Martin |title=Women's lists 'not illegal': The New Shadow Cabinet |work=The Guardian |date=22 October 1993}}

| rowspan=2 | 19 October 1995

rowspan=3 | Blair

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Tessa Jowell

| 60px

| 19 October 1995{{cite web |title=Blair turns tables in front bench 'clearout' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/blair-turns-tables-in-front-bench-clearout-1578445.html |date=20 October 1995 |work=The Independent |last1=Davies |first1=Patricia Wynn |author2=Donald Macintyre |author2-link=Donald Macintyre (journalist) |accessdate=14 November 2013}}

| 26 July 1996{{#tag:ref|Blair conducted a minor reshuffle of his shadow cabinet on 26 July 1996. As Anderson was in post and Shadow Minister for Women by 21 August 1996{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/women-in-revealing-clothes-have-no-redress-says-lawyer-1310712.html |title=Women in revealing clothes have no redress, says lawyer |last1=Boggan |first1=Steve |last2=Raif |first2=Shenai |work=The Independent |date=21 August 1996 |accessdate=14 November 2013}} (and Jowell as a Shadow Health minister by 15 September),{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letternurse-search-1363419.html |title=Letter: Nurse Search |work=The Independent |date=15 September 1996 |accessdate=14 November 2013}} the change likely occurred at that 26 July reshuffle.|group=n|name="JowellAnderson"}}

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Janet Anderson

| 60px

| 26 July 1996

| 2 May 1997

style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Gillian Shephard

| 60px

| 2 May 1997

| Unknown

| rowspan="8" | Conservative

| Major

style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| colspan=4 | Unclear{{#tag:ref|No sources currently note any individual as holding this role for the Conservatives when Labour entered Government at the 1997 election and created the position of Minister for Women, but no source proves there was not one. Before the Conservatives' defeat, Gillian Shephard, John Major's Education Secretary, spoke on women's issues. She largely delegated the responsibility to a junior minister, Cheryl Gillan.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jowell-to-be-britains-first-guardian-of-public-health-1260126.html |title=Jowell to be first guardian of public health |last=Abrams |first=Fran |work=The Independent |date=7 May 1997 |accessdate=14 November 2013}} The only parliamentary debate that obviously fell under the portfolio of the Minister for Women during the term of Harriet Harman (May 1997 to July 1998) occurred on 27 February 1998. It was a set-piece debate, meaning the order of speakers was opening minister, opening shadow minister, backbenchers, closing shadow minister, closing minister. Harman opened, followed by Shepard. The closing speeches were given by Gillan for the Conservatives and Joan Ruddock, Harman's deputy, for the Government.{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1998/feb/27/women-government-priorities#S6CV0307P0_19980227_HOC_29 |title=House of Commons Debates, 27 February 1998 c. 607–80 |work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |date=27 February 1998 |access-date=14 November 2013}} A similar debate was held on 8 March 1999. The Minister for Women was a peer, Baroness Jay of Paddington, so her deputy, Tessa Jowell, opened the debate for the Government; Theresa May opened for the Conservatives. Virginia Bottomley closed for the Opposition, and Margaret Hodge did so for Labour.{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1999/mar/08/women#S6CV0327P0_19990308_HOC_176 |title=House of Commons Debates 8 March 1999 c. 34–120 |work=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |date=8 March 1999 |access-date=14 November 2013}}|group=n}}

| rowspan=2 | Hague

style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Theresa May

| 60px

| 15 June 1999

| 14 September 2001

rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | Caroline Spelman

| rowspan=2 | 60px

| rowspan=2 | 14 September 2001

| rowspan=2 | 15 March 2004

| Duncan Smith

rowspan=2 | Howard

rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | Eleanor Laing

| rowspan=2 | 60px

| rowspan=2 | 15 March 2004

| rowspan=2 | 2 July 2007

rowspan=2 | Cameron

style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| Theresa May

| 60px

| 2 July 2007

| 11 May 2010

rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | Yvette Cooper

| rowspan=2 | 80x80px

| rowspan=2 | 20 May 2010

| rowspan=2 | 7 October 2013

| rowspan="10" | Labour

| Harman I

rowspan=2 | Miliband

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}; border-bottom:solid 1px {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" height=30 |

| rowspan=2 | Gloria De Piero

| rowspan=2 | 60px

| rowspan=2 | 7 October 2013

| rowspan=2 | 14 September 2015

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Harman II

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Kate Green

| 60px

| 14 September 2015

| 27 June 2016

| rowspan="4" | Corbyn

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Angela Rayner

| 80x80px

| 27 June 2016

| 6 October 2016

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Sarah Champion{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/jessicaelgot/status/784076599033532416 |title=Sarah Champion takes Angela Rayner's second brief - women and equalities. |work=Jessica Elgot, Twitter |date=6 October 2016 |accessdate=6 October 2016}}

| 80x80px

| 6 October 2016

| 16 August 2017

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Dawn Butler

| 80x80px

| 31 August 2017

| 6 April 2020

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| Marsha de Cordova

| 60px

| 6 April 2020