Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 21
Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact
Published 9 Feb 2021
Paragraph 92
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We are gravely concerned by evidence detailing potentially unlawful and discriminatory practices towards pregnant women and those on maternity leave during the pandemic. This should have been better anticipated by the government at the beginning of the pandemic and preventative actions taken. It cannot be allowed to continue. The Government must act now to prevent further discrimination, particularly as we enter a time of potentially unprecedented job losses, to which pregnant women and new mothers may be particularly vulnerable.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, Fifth report: Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact (HC 385), paragraph 92, 9 February 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 May 2021.