LABOUR’s equal recovery pledge will tackle gender inequalities that have been “supercharged” by the Covid-19 pandemic, the party has said.

Speaking at Labour’s virtual Women’s Conference on Saturday, deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow equalities minister Marsha de Cordova committed to promoting gender equality at work after the crisis.

The TUC has warned that women have been hit harder by the pandemic as they are more likely to be in precarious work.

To ensure gender inequality did not become “deeper and more embedded,” they urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to promote better work-life balance by extending flexible working and the right to switch off from work at home to everyone. 

This would help parents manage work alongside childcare responsibilities and “end the outdated and sexist assumption about Dad being at work in the office and Mum looking after the kids and doing the housework,” Ms Rayner said.

The pair called for shake-ups to equal pay laws, the failing shared parental leave system and implementing greater protections for new mothers against forced redundancy.

Ministers publishing the number of jobs created by government schemes such as Kickstart, broken down by sex, ethnicity and disability, would also demonstrate if they are addressing rather than embedding existing inequalities, they pointed out. 

Ms Rayner said: “Strengthened rights at work, more control over our lives and a better work-life balance will [be] a step forward for gender equality. 

“Flexible working is not just working from home, it’s about work fitting around our lives rather than dictating how we live.”

Calling for transformative action, Ms de Cordova added: “The inequalities that have been supercharged by Covid cannot be carried through into our post-pandemic world. 

“Only Labour can deliver this fairer future for women, with our long history of pioneering equality legislation.”

Parliamentary reporter @TrinderMatt