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Equalities watchdog urged to investigate UK's pandemic response

Call comes after unions and campaigners warn of ‘deepening inequalities’ faced by women

THE equalities watchdog should investigate the government’s Covid-19 response after unions and campaigners warned of “deepening inequalities” faced by women today.

In a letter to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, groups including the TUC, the Fawcett Society and Save the Children said that the government may have failed to meet its legal obligations to consider the impact of its policies on women.

It urged commission chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner to launch an investigation and demanded that ministers carry out equality impact assessments of coronavirus support schemes such as furlough and self-employment initiatives.

This comes a week after the Commons women and equalities committee said that the government’s response to the pandemic had been “repeatedly skewed towards men.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the needs of women had been overlooked at every stage of the crisis.

“Low-paid women have been excluded from getting sick pay, self-employed women who have taken maternity leave have lost out on vital financial help and women have had to take on primary caring responsibility for children,” she said.

“The impact of school closures and childcare has put many women in an impossible situation because the right support has not been put in place.” 

This had forced many to cut their hours or leave their jobs altogether, Ms O’Grady said.

Anna Whitehouse of the campaign group Mother Pukka said equality had been “swept off the table as privileged fathers in politics (often with nannies) decide the fate of mothers.”

Last week, the women and equalities committee said that ministers had repeatedly failed to consider structural inequalities in the labour market when designing Covid-19 support schemes.

The MPs warned that women are now more likely to be unemployed and have also borne the brunt of extra caring responsibilities, putting pressure on new and working mothers already facing discrimination in the jobs market.

The panel made more than 20 recommendations to tackle inequalities, including maintaining the £20 increase to universal credit and making it easier for staff to get flexible working arrangements.

The government insists it has offered “unprecedented” help during the pandemic and that every department has considered the impact of its policies on inequality.

A spokesman said: “As we seek to build back better following the pandemic, everyone will play a crucial part and we will reflect that in our policy development.”

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