Newcastle’s first female council leader and the North East mayor say they hope to act as an inspiration to girls across the region.
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day on 8 March, Karen Kilgour and Kim McGuinness have spoken about their pride in holding two of the North East’s most prominent public positions.
The two Labour figures also pledged action to help tackle the gender pay gap and other inequalities.
2024 was a historic one in our region’s politics, as Ms McGuinness became the first elected mayor of the North East and Cllr Kilgour was named as the first female leader in Newcastle City Council’s history.
Cllr Kilgour, who ascended to the top job last October after a decade on the council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that such positions of power should no longer be seen as out of reach for women.
Four of the five MPs whose constituencies cover parts of Newcastle are female, while the city council’s last two chief executives have both been women – Pat Ritchie and Pam Smith.
The majority of the region’s seven councils are now led by women – with Cllr Kilgour joining Durham’s Amanda Hopgood, South Tyneside’s Tracey Dixon, and North Tyneside mayor Dame Norma Redfearn around the top table of political leaders.
Cllr Kilgour said: “To become leader of the council is itself an absolute privilege, but to do so as the first woman to hold the position makes it all the more special as it shows the progress being made in our city to challenge inequalities.
“Personally, it gives me enormous pride to lead the city I love, but more broadly it demonstrates that positions previously dominated by men are no longer beyond reach for women – and that’s something that is reflected across our region. We have strong and influential women in a variety of prominent positions, from our own chief executive here at the council, the North East Mayor and many MPs in the North East, to women at the helm of a range of important businesses, sectors and community positions all around us.
“That doesn’t mean, however, that we live in an equal society and there is still significant progress to be made, such as the gender pay gap as one example. That’s why I’m committed to breaking down the barriers people face with protected characteristics, of which sex is just one.
“This International Women’s Day we are incredibly excited to be holding a celebration of influential women from Newcastle and the wider region. Their stories are truly remarkable and I have no doubt they will inspire others to go on and achieve their own successes.
“The progress that’s been made with equalities shows that change can happen and it allows previously-untapped potential to be fulfilled. That is exactly why we are committed to continuing to do all we can to tackle those inequalities that continue to exist today.”
Ms McGuinness was also previously a cllr in Newcastle, before being elected as Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner and then being chosen as Labour’s candidate for last year’s historic mayoral election.
She said: “I want to show girls growing up in our region that anything is possible. When I was a kid, I never dreamed I’d end up as the region’s first North East Mayor – I’m so proud to take on this incredible privilege and be in the position where I can speak up for the region’s incredible women and girls every day. It is so important to me that girls across the North East see that they can achieve anything they want.
“Things have moved on and improved for women, but there is still lots of work to do including tackling the gender pay gap, supporting and championing more women into work and helping more families out of poverty. We are working to make the North East work for women and I will work as hard to tackle gender inequality as I will to tackle the North/South divide.”
