About

Significant barriers still exist towards women’s equal participation in the labour market, whether through discrimination, caring roles, or the unequal weight of domestic responsibilities. Access to affordable childcare and flexible working arrangements have long been cited as the main barrier towards women’s equal inclusion in the workplace. Budget announcements in 2023 promised the roll out of increased ‘free’ childcare for all working families, beginning in April 2024, bur research and campaign findings are already indicating this may be a costly mistake that fails to uncover and address the structural biases the actually prevent women from participating in the labour market.

In collaboration with a peer-support network of mothers in Brighton and 'Autonomy' think-tank, who are the CDA partner for this project, this research will seek to ask how the labour market can change to address the systemic and social barriers to female inclusion in the work place. Using ethnographic practices, it will explore the impact that more comprehensive initiatives such as flexible working policies, a shorter working week, and a focus on productivity rather than presenteeism, might have on supporting women to work.