Health and Healthcare Systems

75% of mothers in the UK have had to cut their working hours in lockdown

Michela Perrini, 9, practices ballet as her sister Martina, 5,  and her mother Vanna stand in their living room in the small southern historical town of Cisternino, Italy, March 31, 2020. Picture taken March 31, 2020. Perrini family have dealt with Italy?s strict lockdown measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with two young daughters studying at home, and owning three restaurants and a bar that can?t fully open until June 1.? REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo - RC2UDG95T7TG

The pandemic has left millions of the women in the UK balancing working from home with childcare duties. Image: REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

Sonia Elks
Journalist, Reuters
  • Nearly 75% of mothers in the UK have had to cut their working hours in lockdown due to insufficient childcare options, according to a new survey.
  • Multiple studies have shown that women have been disadvantaged during the pandemic, picking up extra chores and childcare duties.
  • The International Labour Organization has warned this could undo several years of progress towards gender parity.

Almost three-quarters of mothers in Britain have been forced to cut work hours because of childcare issues under COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a survey by a maternal rights group which warned more action was needed to protect women's careers.

More than eight in 10 employed mothers said they needed childcare to be able to work, but fewer than half said they had enough childcare to let them do their job during the pandemic, showed the survey by Pregnant Then Screwed.

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"This lack of childcare is destroying women's careers," said the campaign group's founder and chief executive Joeli Brearley.

"They are being made redundant, they are being forced to cut their hours, and they are being treated negatively all because they are picking up the unpaid labour."

Studies around the world have found women are picking up more of the extra chores and childcare during the pandemic.

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Multiple studies have shown that women have been disadvantaged during the pandemic. Image: International Labour Organization

The International Labour Organization has warned coronavirus could wipe out "the modest progress" made on gender equality at work in recent decades, with women globally at greater risk of losing their jobs.

Across Britain, schools and nurseries were ordered to close under lockdown, leaving many families struggling to balance work with childcare and home schooling responsibilities.

The Department for Education said it was working to ensure hard-hit nurseries and childcare providers in England stay afloat as they gradually re-open by "block-buying" childcare places for the rest of this year.

"This will provide financial security to nurseries and childminders, meaning they can continue to provide the high quality childcare needed by parents as they return to work," said a spokeswoman in emailed comments.

Many women also reported that they were losing their jobs entirely due to pregnancy or childcare issues during the lockdown, according to the survey of almost 20,000 pregnant women and mothers conducted online last week.

Amongst those who were or expected to be made redundant during the pandemic, about half said they believed that their pregnancy or problems with childcare had played a role.

Black and ethic minority women were more likely to report that they were being made redundant, or expected to be, as a result of having children.

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