Liverpool named among best cities in the UK for gender equality at work

The findings come from the organisation’s The Workplace Health Gap, based on a survey of over 2,000 women across the UK. The report highlights where women feel most empowered, supported, and able to progress professionally without bias or discrimination

Top 5 UK Cities for Gender Equality at Work:

1. Sheffield
2. Liverpool
3. Belfast
4. Leeds
5. Cardiff

Sheffield secured the top spot, with 81% of women there reporting they’ve never experienced gender bias—a significantly higher figure than the national average. In addition, 69% of respondents from Sheffield said they’ve never felt pressured to tone down their femininity at work. The city’s workplaces were found to be 1.5 times more likely to foster an inclusive, non-biased environment.

However, Liverpool was not far behind. Women in Liverpool were around 1.2 times less likely to feel judged on their appearance and approximately 1.15 times less likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace compared to the national average. The city’s strong ranking is credited to a culture that places greater emphasis on fairness, professional recognition, and mental wellbeing.

Belfast, Leeds, and Cardiff also earned top-five placements thanks to their consistent performance across multiple indicators of equality. Women in Leeds, for example, reported feeling freer to be themselves at work, while Cardiff was praised for supportive health policies and inclusive leadership practices.

The report considered a variety of workplace experiences to determine the rankings, including:

• Instances of being patronised, overlooked or spoken over by male colleagues
• The impact of gender bias on career progression
• Support for women’s health and wellbeing
• Appearance-based scrutiny and microaggressions
• Pressure to overperform or suppress femininity to gain respect

For more information and to read the full report, visit: The Workplace Health Gap.