Covid has widened existing inequality

Political leaders must set out how they intend to redress imbalances in recovery from the pandemic

One of the many tragedies of the coronavirus pandemic has been the widening of existing inequality.

On International Women's Day today it is only right that a spotlight is shone on how lockdown has exacerbated gender imbalances.

As we emerge from lockdown how many women will have disappeared from the workplace and how will they return?

Writing in these pages today, Liz Cameron of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce observes that sectors worst affected by lockdown – such as retail, food and beverage, and care – have higher proportions of female workers.

Furthermore, research has shown that women have taken on the greater share of teaching and childcare.

For many, balancing these things with working from home has proved an impossible task.

The worst affected are pregnant women, new mothers, the selfemployed, women claiming benefits and those working in the professional childcare sector.

The scale of the problem is highlighted by figures released by Scottish Widows today that show young women will typically need to work nearly 40 years longer than men to reach pensions equality.

Younger female savers can expect to have £100,000 less on average in their retirement pots than their male counterparts.

The figures from the most recent Scottish Widows women and retirement report suggest that to reach retirement parity, a woman currently in her 20s will have to work 37 years longer than a man of the same age to accumulate the same income.

With less than two months until the Holyrood election, political leaders must set out how they intend to redress these imbalances in Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic.

How many women have been lost to the workplace and how can they be brought back?

Greater provision must be made for childcare and for single mothers.

Employers must never be allowed to effectively make women choose between their careers and caring for their children.

Men must also play their part by taking on a greater share of childcare responsibilities.

And women must be at the heart of the post-covid recovery.