The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has highlighted that the unequal division of childcare responsibilities contributes significantly to gender inequality and the gender pay gap. In response, the committee is gathering insights to understand how to encourage a more equal sharing of childcare and domestic duties between mothers and their partners.
The beauty industry, where women make up 81% of the workforce and over 86% of business owners, has a unique opportunity to provide valuable feedback on potential biases in childcare responsibilities.
Sarah Owen MP, Chair of the WEC, emphasized the need for a shared parental leave system that works for all parents. “It’s essential that new parents have a system that’s easy to navigate and meets the needs of their families,” she said. “Through this survey, we want to identify effective ways to promote equal sharing of childcare and domestic responsibilities.”
A recent study by The Female Lead found that 47% of women returning from maternity leave are dissatisfied with their employer’s support. Many leave their jobs within a year, highlighting the need for change in workplace policies.
The beauty industry faces particular challenges when it comes to balancing work and parenthood. Issues such as loss of clients during time off from salons or lack of access to shared parental leave for freelancers have made it clear that reform is needed.
To address these concerns, the Committee has launched an accessible survey to collect feedback. They are interested in understanding the following:
Has the statutory shared parental leave scheme given parents, including same-sex and adoptive parents, the flexibility to share childcare responsibilities in the first year?
What long-term equality impacts has the scheme had, particularly in terms of shared parenting and domestic responsibilities as children grow?
How has the scheme affected the labor market, especially for women?
Why has the uptake of shared parental leave been low, and what can be done to increase participation?
How can disparities in the uptake of shared parental leave, such as by ethnicity, income, education level, and occupation, be addressed?
The committee is eager to hear from the beauty industry to better understand how current maternity leave policies can be improved for all parents.
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