Speaking today Joe Levenson, Director of Communications and Campaigns at Young Women’s Trust said:
“As the country enters another lockdown, once again it is young women who are likely to be hit hard by subsequent job losses, loss of income and juggling often precarious work with caring responsibilities, especially now that schools have once again closed.
While the Chancellor is right to announce additional grants for businesses today, without increased financial support for the most vulnerable including young women who are struggling to make ends meet they are likely to continue to lurch from crisis to crisis.
We’ve heard from young women who are skipping meals to make ends meet and an estimated 1.5million have already lost income as a result of the pandemic – with an enormous toll on their mental health.
That’s why we are calling on the Government to step up by investing in the benefits system including sick pay to better support young women, protect jobs in sectors many young women work in including hospitality and retail which are being badly hit, and ensuring social infrastructure such as childcare is protected longer-term. Most of all, the response to the worsening coronavirus crisis must be informed by data and the voices of diverse young women on the economic and wider impacts on their lives.”
