SCOTLAND could see a “substantial rollback” in gender equality due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on family life, leading Scottish feminist organisations have warned.
Meanwhile, mothers told the Sunday National that they were concerned that plans for part-time schooling could see a return to 1950s family life, with more women coming under pressure to reduce hours or even give-up work due to the increased burden of juggling work and domestic life.
They are now calling for the Scottish Government to ensure women are not overlooked in plans for economic recovery.
In recent weeks research has revealed that while it is men who are disproportionately falling ill and dying, it is women who suffer more as a result of the closure of schools and home-working patterns.
Economists for Cambridge University found women were doing on average six hours of home-schooling a day, two hours more than their male counterparts, regardless of employment status.
Engender said an increasing number of women are reporting burnout due to the increased workload and are on the verge of quitting their jobs. Research shows women are also disproportionately represented amongst those in precarious or zero-hour contracts, putting them more at risk of losing work.
Emma Ritch, executive director of Engender, said: “We may be in the middle of an economic slowdown, but women in Scotland are being more productive than ever in ways that aren’t currently reflected in GDP figures.
“Lockdown has massively increased the demand for childcare, home-schooling and unpaid care, and the best available data tells us that women are doing the majority of this”
She claimed that evidence showed that even before Covid-19, life involved a lot of juggling for women with children – and especially single mothers.
“The reason that so many women work part-time in Scotland is because transport, education and childcare services don’t line up well with the traditional working day,” she added.
“Women will bear the brunt of these changes. Every day women tell Engender that they are unable to carry on squashing a full working day and a full day of childcare into the same 24 hours.
“Many women are poised on the edge of quitting their jobs. It is vital that the Scottish Government’s proposals for exiting lockdown pay attention to the gendered division of care. Otherwise, this period will see a substantial rollback of women’s equality and rights.”
Anna Ritchie Allan, executive director of Close the Gap, said: “There’s now immense pressure on [some] women as they’re expected to care for their children, supervise home-schooling, and to do their job from home at the same time.
“Many women have had to use annual leave to cover childcare but that’s about to run out. Coupled with restrictions around furlough leave and inflexible working approaches from employers, Covid-19 has pushed many women to breaking point.
“There’s a significant risk that the crisis will force women to leave their jobs, affecting their income, career prospects and making them more vulnerable to poverty.”
She said employers would lose out and the gender pay gap would widen.
A Scottish Government spokesman said the issue was on its radar. He added: “While we know that parents are doing their best during lockdown, we also know that, in general, women are shouldering a disproportionate share of childcare and home- schooling – and this while many hold key roles in health and social care.
“As we prepare to ease aspects of lockdown, the Scottish Government will take steps to understand how we can adopt a more flexible working environment which best suits the needs of those balancing childcare responsibilities during the pandemic.
“The First Minister has made clear that as we tackle the impact of Covid-19, the extent to which it affects people disproportionately will be a key consideration.”
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