Women now face an even bigger challenge to narrow gender divide - YEP Comment

We’ve been parted from our loved ones, forced to stay in our homes and many have been impacted by furlough and job losses as businesses struggle to make ends meet.

But the socio-economic impact of Covid is stark and unrelenting as today a new report warns that women in the North of England have shouldered the heaviest burden in relation to their male counterparts.

Nearly half of working women in the North work in sectors which have been the most adversely affected by the coronavirus crisis, such as health and social care, hospitality and retail.

And think tank chiefs from IPPR North are calling on leaders to commit to a better understanding of the impact of the pandemic on women and to take action to help build back fairer.

Inequality was already baked into the system long before Covid - and now women face an even bigger challenge to narrow the gender divide.

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