FROM unpaid carers to disability, the recent census has revealed areas where there are significant differences for men and women in St Helens.

On International Women's Day, women's rights charity The Fawcett Society is saying more concerted action is needed to tackle gender inequality in the UK.

The census survey taken across England and Wales in March 2021 shows of the 183,248 usual residents in St Helens, 93,334 are women – accounting for 50.9 per cent of the area's population.

In St Helens, women made up 58.7 per cent of unpaid carers, meaning they were looking after someone because of long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age without compensation.

This is similar to the trend across England and Wales where there are approximately 2.8 million female unpaid carers and approximately 1.9 million male unpaid carers.

Additionally, women in St Helens were more likely to have a disability than men, with 23 per cent of women stating they were disabled in the census, while 21 per cent of men did.

The recent census also revealed 6,300 people in St Helens had previously served in the UK armed forces. Just 760 (12.1 per cent) of them were women.

Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said there is not a single "sure-fire" solution to improve gender equality in the UK, but more action is needed.

"This Government must urgently reform the childcare system so that it is affordable, accessible, and works for women and employers must make flexible work the default," she added.

She said: "We simply can't allow this Government to stand by as women's hard-fought gains are lost."

The survey also highlighted women in St Helens were more likely than men to identify with a sexuality other than heterosexual.

Figures show around 2,265 women in the area (2.9 per cent of women) identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another minority sexuality, while 1,800 men (2.5 per cent) did.