The UK Government has made steps towards lifting the coronavirus lockdown, signalling a move to the next phase of the national response to the pandemic. But with women making up a small minority of those involved in decision-making, gendered perspectives are being missed. This does not just risk inequalities – it means that the likelihood of us ending the lockdown successfully will be undermined.
In “Exiting Lockdown: The Impact on Women,” Fawcett Society highlight multiple areas where government needs to analyse policy through a gendered lens in order to ensure that existing inequalities are not exacerbated during the recovery and rebuild phase of our emergence out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Key suggestions include:
- Publish equality impact assessments
- Test, track and trace
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for all workers paid at living wage levels
- Vaccine and treatment development
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Balancing health and the economy
- Care infrastructure
- Support parents
- Do not leave the vulnerable behind
- Improve women’s representation in decision-making
- Do not roll back positive changes in politics
- Effective working between tiers of government
