When we think about government, we often think about parliament in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, or Belfast.
But local government, often just called ‘the council’, develops local policies and delivers local services that are essential to our communities.
Local government can seem difficult to understand because the structure varies across the country.
Still, it’s important to know who is responsible for what, as councils make and carry out decisions on local services that women, in particular, rely on.
And different types of ‘council’, or local authority, look after different things.
In this factsheet we consider the structures of local government and their importance for women.