Uniting leaders to identify and tackle women’s inequality

Our work

in our 2025/26 annual report, our chair, Penny Gane reflected on the successes of the first year of the commission.

“Established in 2025, the past year has been a  transformative period for the West of England Women’s Commission. We have developed a strong regional presence by welcoming commissioners from different sectors and concentrating our efforts where we can have most impact.

Crucially, we have  added three task groups to the existing task groups of Women’s Health and Women and the Economy, with new dedicated groups to Tackle Misogyny which is at the root of men’s violence against women and girls; develop strategies around Women and Transport which address women’s travel needs, and Higher and Further Education bringing together the universities and colleges of the region to work on a wide range of issues from sexual harassment to gender pay gaps. 

 A major milestone was our inspirational Women’s Summit in September 2025, which gathered over 100 cross-sector leaders in Bristol to secure crucial commitments to bring about real change. Our commitments to action are now assimilated in the West of England Women’s Commission Action Plan which will be delivered over the next 1,3 and 5 years. We’ve already made a good start on delivering this plan!

It is imperative that we seek out, learn from and share best practice across the agencies and organisations of the West of England.

Alongside our active work we have developed our terms of reference with a view to  delivering greater long-term stability for the commission. We are actively working to take control of our own financial management  in the 2026-27 financial year, including establishing a small team of specialists to facilitate our operations. As we move through  2026, women's voices will continue to be at the heart of our work as we strive to ensure every woman and girl in the West of England has the support, the safety, and the opportunity to succeed.”