Conservative Party Conference event: Creating an Inclusive Economy
An event at Conservative Party Conference 2020: We will explore how ideas of inclusion and community can create policy for a more inclusive economy.
UK Policy Briefing
This briefing summarises the immediate actions that the Government should take to avoid the negative impacts of the first lockdown in March 2020.
Based on the evidence from 2020 it is clear that the current lockdown, including school closures, will have significant and distinct consequences for different groups of women and men.
This briefing summarises the immediate actions that the Government should take to avoid the negative impacts of the first lockdown in March 2020 when:
Employment, earnings and home-schooling:
Social security:
Violence against women and girls:
WBG is glad to see the Prime Minister make clear that escaping domestic abuse is a reason to leave the home and parents can request furlough. This is evidence that equality impact is being considered. But the Government must go further to make sure that all lockdown policy undergoes comprehensive and meaningful equality impact assessments to avoid disproportionate impact.
In the medium to longer term, significant reform of the care sector and other public services is needed to build resilience and prioritise wellbeing, equality and sustainability – as set out in WBG Commission on a Gender-Equal Economy final report ‘Creating a Caring Economy’ – but the Government should take the above action immediately to mitigate the impact of lockdown on gender equality.
Further detailed resources and recommendations by theme are available here:
Contact: maryann.stephenson@wbg.org.uk
[1] IFS (2020) How are mothers and fathers coping under lockdown? https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14860; Baowen Xue and Anne McMunn (2020) Gender differences in the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on unpaid care work and psychological distress in the UK https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/wzu4t/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/15/domestic-abuse-killings-more-than-double-amid-covid-19-lockdown
[3] The Resolution Foundation (2020) Risky business https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/risky-business/
[4]House of Commons Library (2020) Coronavirus: Which key workers are most at risk? https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus-which-key-workers-are-most-at-risk/
[5] The Resolution Foundation (2020) Risky business https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/risky-business/
[6] IFS (6 April 2020) Sector shutdowns during the coronavirus crisis: which workers are most exposed? (https://bit.ly/2XgDc4w)
[7] WBG (2020) HMRC data prompts concern about the ‘gender furlough gap’ https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/uk-policy-briefings/hmrc-data-prompts-concern-of-gender-furlough-gap/
IFS (2020) How are mothers and fathers coping under lockdown? https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14860; Baowen Xue and Anne McMunn (2020) Gender differences in the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on unpaid care work and psychological distress in the UK https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/wzu4t/
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/15/domestic-abuse-killings-more-than-double-amid-covid-19-lockdown
House of Commons Library (2020) Coronavirus: Which key workers are most at risk? https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus-which-key-workers-are-most-at-risk/
IFS (6 April 2020) Sector shutdowns during the coronavirus crisis: which workers are most exposed? (https://bit.ly/2XgDc4w)
WBG (2020) HMRC data prompts concern about the ‘gender furlough gap’ https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/uk-policy-briefings/hmrc-data-prompts-concern-of-gender-furlough-gap/
An event at Conservative Party Conference 2020: We will explore how ideas of inclusion and community can create policy for a more inclusive economy.
Analysis of the latest ONS & HMRC data, including the first Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme published sex- and age-disaggregated figures.
Ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 2020, the UK Women’s Budget Group has submitted our representation to HM Treasury.