Pregnant Then Screwed, a group who support, empower and ensure the voice of the working mums marched today with hundreds of 'mummies' to highlight maternity discrimination and the need for change. They have a large social media following with over 6437 followers on Instagram and are supported by blogging giants; Mother Pukka, Susie Verill, Toby+Roo and Clemmie Telford as well as MP’s Clive Lewis, Jess Phillips and Caroline Lucas.
After getting inspiration from the global women’s marches that took place earlier in the year, the march saw the group voice 5 demands.
Demanding Change
- Increase the time limit to raise a tribunal claim from three months to at least six months.
- Require companies to report on how many flexible working requests are made and how many are granted.
- Give both parents access to six weeks parental leave paid at 90 percent of salary.
- Give the self-employed access to statuary shared parental leave.
- Subsidise childcare from 6 months rather than 3 years.
The main march started off in Trafalgar Square and ended up in Westminster to present the five demands for change to MP’s, the other five demonstrations took place in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, and Manchester. They were joined by Working Families, The Lullaby Trust, Yess Law, The Organise Platform, Parental Pay Equality on the march, and saw a number of key speakers address the crowds for the cause and present the above 5 demands to Members of Parliament.
Marchers were advised to dress up as Dawn of the Dead Style Mummies to represent the archaic legislation that is in place and to acknowledge it taking place on Halloween.
According to Pregnant Then Screwed over 54,000 women lose their jobs for getting pregnant, and 390,000 working mums experience potentially discriminatory treatment at work.
Maternity discrimination
These figures have doubled within a decade, they advise. They go on to say that motherhood is said to be the course of the widening gender pay gap between childbearing-aged women and men with women getting paid a staggering 33 percent less than their male counterparts.
The group offers free legal advice, a place to post your anonymous story, a flexible working helpline, mentoring for those who wish to act against an employer as well as lobbying for legislative change.
For those who could not take part in the march saw a social media call out for support. Currently, the #marchofthemummies has had over 813 posts on Instagram with many parents rallying behind the cause of highlighting maternity discrimination in the workplace.