INEQUALITY
Women in the North East are suffering from the ‘triple shock’ of austerity, the pandemic and cost of living crisis
A woman in the North East of England is 1.7 times more likely to die prematurely from suicide, addiction or murder by a partner or family member than in the rest of England and Wales, new research has revealed.
The numbers are rising, at least in part due to austerity, the pandemic and cost of living crisis which have led to overwhelmed and neglected public services in some of the poorest regions of the country – including Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland.
“This is not new news,” said the Labour MP Jess Phillips, launching the report at the House of Commons. “It is just that now we have got to do something about it.”
The charities Agenda Alliance and Changing Lives, which published the report, found the number of women dying by domestic homicide, addiction or suicide in the North East increased by 15% between 2018 and 2021.
Changing Lives has said that the average age of women “known to have died while accessing their services is currently just 37 years old. Prior to 2020, it was 47”. By comparison, the typical life expectancy of a woman in England is 83, according to official statistics. Since 2019, 61 women have died while being supported by the charity, more than half from domestic abuse.
Speaking at the launch event, Indy Cross, the chief executive of Agenda Alliance, said:
“The North East has been disproportionately affected by austerity, the cost of living crisis and the
