 News
28th February 2007
Mothers face job discrimination
Mothers continue to face discrimination in the workplace, according to
a new report.
The Equalities Review has found that patrnered women with
a child under 11 years old is 45 per cent less likely to be in work than
a partnered man.
According to the report, this discrimination is higher than
that faced by ethnic minorities or disabled people.
Chairman of the review, Trevor Phillips, said the review's
final report will propose 10 steps to make Britain more equal.
The review uses a recent survey of 122 recruitment agencies,
70 per cent of which had been asked by clients to avoid pregnant women
or women of childbearing age.
Mr Phillips, head of the new Commission for Equality and
Human Rights (CEHR), told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "Equality is
not a minority zone - the majority of the people in this country are women
and disadvantaged.
"Most of us will be older, many of us will become disabled
and even if we are not of one race or another we may have a mixed race
child. So these things concern us.
"The unemployment of women costs us about £28bn a year,
the under-employment of disabled people about £9bn."
Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly said the government had
made strides in helping women balance work and family life.
"These include extended and better paid maternity leave,
new paternity rights and the right to request flexible working," she said.
Business leaders have said they do not discriminate against
any candidate.
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