Writing for the OnLondon website, Caroline Pidgeon describes the deep economic impact that the pandemic has had on women in London, how it has set back progress on equality, and the need for action from the Government and the Mayor.
We need to be incentivising companies in London to tackle gender inequality in the workplace as we recover from Covid-19. Lib Dem mayoral candidate Luisa Porritt was a champion for gender pay equality as an MEP and would champion the cause from City Hall too as the capital’s first female Mayor.
Minister for women and equalities Liz Truss proudly launched the government’s new approach to tackling inequality across the UK, stating in a speech in January that it would address “the real problems people face in their everyday lives using evidence”. The evidence of the impact of the pandemic on women speaks for itself – now it is time for the government to act.
Mayor Khan frequently refers to himself as a “proud feminist” and said in 2018 that we must “ensure we remove those barriers, so that across our great city we are adopting the highest possible standards for fair pay, good working conditions and gender equality.” In light of the pandemic, he must redouble his efforts in this area to ensure the impact of the pandemic on women in the economy is not felt for years to come. The Mayor is good at words, less so at actions. There must be a clear, deliverable recovery plan from City Hall that has equality at its heart.