Leader's column: Fighting against inequality in Greater Manchester

In her latest column, Tameside Council leader Cllr Brenda Warrington says the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted that action to address the inequalities faced by many across the region is needed now more than ever.

With everything that has gone on in the past fortnight, it is easy to forget that there will come a time when we will turn away from the immediate crisis of the pandemic, to the longer struggle of deciding what our economy and society after coronavirus should look like.

Instead of trying to turn back the clock, I believe we need to focus our energies on building back a better, kinder and fairer country.

In my role as Lead for Age-Friendly and Equalities in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), I’m delighted to say that we have already taken the first steps in this journey. 

Over the past few years, we have brought together representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors into a number of  ‘Equality Panels’ to identify and challenge prejudice wherever it exists in Greater Manchester.

These Equality Panels already exist for young people, older people, those with disabilities and members of the LGBT community, but now we are adding three new panels.

The first of these is the Woman and Girl Equality Panel, which will work to prevent violence against women and girls, and investigate the obstacles they face when it comes to employment, education and physical and mental health.

In an area particularly close to my heart, we will also offer a helping hand to women who want to become representatives of their communities. I may be the first woman to be elected Leader of Tameside Council, but I have no intention of being the last.

The other two panels will focus on residents of different races and faiths. Greater Manchester is one of the most diverse parts of the country, and the pandemic has highlighted that action to address the inequalities faced by many is needed now more than ever. 

We know that residents from our black, Asian and other ethnic communities have suffered disproportionately from coronavirus, and I have personally heard stories of some of the appalling abuse they have faced from people who, with no evidence, have blamed them for the recent spike in infection rates in Greater Manchester.

The panel will begin to collect evidence on how our black, Asian and minority ethnic communities may face discrimination in other areas such as access to health services, jobs and housing. As we begin to think about life after coronavirus, let’s work together to make a real difference in our city region.