In My View by Charlotte Butterick

With inflation, energy bills and fuel prices at record heights, fears are are deepening everywhere about how we are going to cope. But the widening financial gap between men and women is causing women to bear the emotional and financial brunt of the cost of living crisis.

The gender pay gap is nothing new. For centuries, women have faced bigger financial and domestic burdens than men. Not only barriers getting employment in the first place, but once in work women are more likely to be in lower-paid jobs and see less progress in terms of promotions and pay rises. Statistically, women are also expected to take on more care-taking responsibilities in their homelife and face the majority of increasing childcare costs.

On average, women in the UK take home around 22% less than men their same age. Calderdale has Yorkshire’s second biggest pay gap, with men earning 20.8% more than women.

It’s extremely concerning this trend of inequality is continuing today with women suffering disproportionately in the current crisis.

In a recent report by the Young Women’s Trust, 52% of respondents said they were struggling to make ends meet and were ‘filled with dread’ when thinking about their household finances.

It is therefore vital that action is taken. The government, Calderdale council and local charities are preparing to ramp up their financial and wellbeing support as the increased costs begin to bite over the winter – including a government ‘energy bill freeze’ package.

Also included in the new Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng’s, plan are additional measures of tax cuts as well as a tightening of benefit rules for part-time workers, requiring people to work longer hours or take steps to increase earnings with the aim of filling shortages in the labour market.

However, the Chancellor’s new plan is short-sighted, and will be an even bigger setback disproportionately targeting women. 40% of women in employment are part time, as opposed to only 13% of men.

If the government is serious about getting people back into work, tangible solutions like lowering the cost of childcare should be prioritised which would allow more women to return to work or allow parents to split childcare more equally.