A THINK-tank has today published research which it says shows how Northern women have been disproportionately impacted by inequalities during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

IPPR North called for “deeds, not words, to build back fairer” and have urged women be put at the heart of recovery plans. 

The report says women have “born the brunt of the pandemic’s impact in the past year” and adds: “Around 45 per cent of working women across the North work in sectors that have seen the biggest negative impacts during the pandemic, such as in the health and social care, retail and hospitality sectors – and are therefore at greater risk of infection and mortality. 

“And more women have been furloughed, including approximately 382,000 across the north of England.”

It says the North in general has a low wage economy, but women are “particularly disadvantaged” in that statistic and the burden of unpaid care has fallen predominantly on them.

The report says this work has “too often been overlooked or marginalised within economic and social policymaking schemes for generations, but Covid-19 has shown us just how dependent our society is on women to provide this care”.
There are fears lack of recognition and support could have “regressive effects” on progress which has been made.

The research highlights that inequalities faced by women do not exist in isolation, but interact with each other. 

Amreen Quereshi, from IPPR North, said: “Women in the North are experiencing regional, economic, racial, and other inequalities – some all at the same time.

"Even before the pandemic, northern women – especially those in the most deprived communities - have seen their life expectancy fall after a decade of austerity. Women earn less, are more likely to be key workers and experience gender-based violence, and they take on a more significant responsibility for informal care.

"There is no excuse for overlooking the impact of widening inequalities on women in the North. As leaders plan for recovery, we need deeds, not words, to build back fairer for Northern women.”

The report says a “critical juncture” has been reached and while “there is an understandable sense of urgency about the need for economic recovery, this should not be at the expense of gender inequality”. 

The think-tank believes the North of England  should “lead the way” on creating a fairer future for women in three main areas - improving pay and conditions for women across the North; collecting better data in inequalities across the region, and, making a good life for women a key measure of success, as well as accelerating gender representation in regional political infrastructure and ensuring gender balance in future devolution negotiations.

IPPR North director Sarah Longlands said: “The opportunities that we have to build a better future for the North can only be fully realised when we challenge the status quo and do all we can to amplify women’s voices in our communities, our politics and in public policy.”