New leadership team for West of England Women’s Commission

The West of England Women’s Commission has appointed a new Co-Chair and two Vice Chairs to join its founding Chair, now Co-Chair - Penny Gane.

During a full commission meeting in March 2026, it was announced that Penny Gane will be joined as Co-Chair by Zara Nanu - with Dine Romero and Jane White taking on the roles of Vice Chairs.

It comes at a critical time in the Commission’s evolution as it held its first AGM and shared its first annual report. The new West of England Women’s Commission was formed following the dissolution of the Bristol Women’s Commission to expand the focus to the entire region.

It brings together cross sector partners from Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire to identify and address issues that impact women and girls and stand in the way of equality.

Through a series of targeted task groups, it releases reports, runs campaigns, launches initiatives and hosts events that shine a spotlight on the good work already being undertaken in the region, and what is still needed.

Penny Gane

Penny has dedicated her whole life to tackling women’s inequality and was the driving force behind the first UK women’s commission in Bristol. She led it for over a decade before setting up a bigger, better regional commission which she continues to co-chair. She has an honorary doctorate from UWE Bristol.

Zara Nanu

Zara has been working on tackling women’s equality for over 15 years. As founder of Gapsquare, she accelerated global progress on closing the gender pay gap, and is now giving time back to the region she calls home by joining Penny as Co-Chair of the West of England Women’s Commission. She’s a professor in civic engagement at University of Bristol Business School.

Dine Romero

Dine a Lib Dem councillor at Bath and North East Somerset Council and Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel as well as sitting on the Local Government Association’s Children & Young People Board. She has a weekly slot on Radio Bath and champions women across the area.

Jane White

A senior lecturer in applied mathmatics most recently working at the University of Bath, Jane is also co-chair of the West of England Women’s Commission’s Higher and Further Education Task Group. She has a keen interest in boosting women’s participation in STEM and is Vice Chair of Sigma network too.

These four appointments form the leadership of the West of England Women’s Commission and will work with almost more than a dozen other commissioners and even more task group partners to move the dial on women’s inequality in the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority area.