She may have only been prime minister for 24 hours, but Liz Truss is already making waves from behind the door of Number 10 Downing Street. After travelling to Balmoral to meet the Queen and be named prime minister yesterday, Truss spent the rest of the day announcing her new cabinet.

To say some of her choices have proven controversial would be an understatement. Appointments that are already making waves include naming Thérèse Coffey – who has voted against abortion laws in the past – the new health secretary, or choosing Suella Braverman – who has consistently voted against laws to promote equality and human rights – to take on the role of home secretary.

But no appointment has received quite so much attention as Truss’s decision to name Nadhim Zahawi as the new minister for equalities. On top of Zahawi’s rocky voting record when it comes to matters of equality – he did vote to legalise same-sex marriage, but he has also voted in favour of appealing the Human Rights Act and voted against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability – his job title has also prompted discussion online. 

Why? Well, because it lacks one important word: women. Since 1997, there has been a ministerial position dedicated to women’s issues, whether as an isolated role or as part of the broader title, minister for women and equalities. The role, which was created by Tony Blair, was first taken on by Harriet Harman, and was most recently occupied by none other than Truss herself.

But yesterday, when Truss announced her new cabinet, the position was nowhere to be found. Instead of being known as the minister for women and equalities, Nadhim Zahawi was simply announced as the minister for equalities, as well as the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for intergovernmental relations. 

At first, there was hope that the minister for women would simply be announced as a separate post – this has happened in the past, after all. But as time went on, it quickly became clear that this was unlikely to happen (Stylist has reached out to Number 10 for an explanation, but we’re yet to receive a response).  

This may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things – after all, women are far from the only group fighting for equality in today’s society – but it’s a worrying development when you consider the problems women across the UK are currently facing.

From a pushback against abortion rights and a widening gender pay gap to the failures of the justice system and the struggle for health equality, there’s plenty of work to be done. There’s also the continued need for effort when it comes to ending violence against women and girls – and that’s not forgetting the unique challenges being faced by minoritised groups, such as the extreme vitriol being directed at trans women from across the political spectrum. 

Even if Zahawi’s position does cover women – a reporter for Sky News has suggested as such – it’s unlikely he’ll have the time to focus on everything that needs to be done. After all, he’s got two other positions to focus on – which says a lot about how much value is being placed on the minister for equalities role in the first place. 

This is hardly surprising, of course – during her time as minister for women and equalities, Truss was accused by a fellow Tory MP of treating the position as a “side hustle”, which repeatedly came second to her role as foreign secretary – but it’s still deeply concerning.

Now more than ever, we need someone in government who’s dedicated to fighting for all women – and by erasing such a role from parliament, Liz Truss has made her priorities very clear.

Stylist has reached out to Number 10 for comment and is yet to receive a response. 

Images: Getty