Around half of the surveyed people -- 45 per cent of working mothers -- said that they cannot get any help from friends and family, and 35 per cent said their usual childminder is unavailable. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock) The fact that around the world women, more than men, are finding it difficult to juggle both parenting duties and work commitments, has been known for a while now. But it seems the ongoing pandemic — that refuses to end — along with a demanding professional front, could very well be pushing women out of the workforce, especially those on childcare duty.
A survey conducted by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has found that women in Britain, who are working mothers, are finding it extremely challenging to balance their careers along with childcare. According to the survey, 41 per cent of working mothers with children under 10 years of age are struggling to find childcare that will allow them to work, The Independent reports.
Around half of the surveyed people — 45 per cent of working mothers — said that they cannot get any help from friends and family, and 35 per cent said their usual childminder is unavailable. The glaring difference between the life of working mothers and working fathers was highlighted in the survey, wherein it was found that 43 per cent of women said they have had to combine working at home with childcare. The same, meanwhile, was true for only 29 per cent of working fathers.
The survey also revealed that one in six women have had to reduce their work hours, so as to accommodate childcare in their routine.
“Women workers have borne the brunt of this crisis — both on the frontline and at home. But this can’t go on. If we don’t take this childcare crisis seriously, women will be pushed out of the workforce. Childcare providers desperately need new government cash to stay open. And we need an extension to the job retention scheme for mums and dads who can’t return to work because of childcare responsibilities,” TUC’s general secretary Frances Grady was quoted as saying by the outlet.
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