Britain needs to offer a better deal to our talented working mothers

Careers of women must be protected after they have children, say Dominic Raab and Maria Miller

As we rise to the challenges facing post-brexit Britain, we must break down barriers and create wider opportunities, and make the

best use of all the talents we have in this country. A generational shift in social attitudes will help – but the Conservatives need to be ahead of the curve, not lagging behind.

When it comes to gender equality, we have the highest number of women in work, and the lowest gender pay gap for full-time earnings, on record.

It is striking that, while the gender pay gap is now marginal for women in their 20s and 30s, it rises to 12.8 per cent for women in their 40s. Some of this reflects genuine choices many women make to reprioritise their career in order to accommodate family life. That’s fair enough. But if we want to promote the flexibility that modern parents and our economy need, we must protect working mothers.

The issue was brought into relief last week by Jo Pavey, the athlete and British 10,000m European champion, whose Nike sponsorship was suspended when she announced she was expecting a baby. She said she felt “punished for being pregnant”. It’s not just sporting stars who feel vulnerable. In 2016, the House of Commons’ women and equalities committee heard evidence that 11 per cent of new or expectant mothers had been laid off, or treated so poorly that they left work.

That figure has nearly doubled in 10 years. That is unfair. New mums have enough on their plate adjusting to their demanding new arrival without the stress of losing their job and a deflating career setback. We should be safeguarding that precious but vulnerable period where working mums are under pressure – or risk losing their valuable talents from the workforce. We can tackle this, following German practice, by legislating to protect women from redundancy throughout their pregnancy, maternity leave and for six months afterwards.

Limited exceptions could be made for smaller businesses facing severe financial hardship. That is why we are working together to enshrine this into law through a Ten Minute Rule Bill. At the same time, if we want more working mums to have the choice to pursue their careers, then dads need some more support to help with child care.

Brexit presents challenges. But it is also an opportunity to take a fresh look at our society. By empowering parents – and supporting their choices – we can promote more resilient families, cut the gender pay gap and enable our country to reach its potential.

Dominic Raab is the former Brexit secretary; Maria Miller is the chairman of the women and equalities committee