Maternity Discrimination Debated in Scottish Parliament

MPs are calling for more funding and more information to tackle widespread discrimination against working women who have children.

One in five women reported having experienced harassment or negative comments because of either pregnancy or flexible working. That amounts to around 100,000 women a year across the UK.

Rosalind Bragg, Director of Maternity Action, spoke to Kingdom FM News:

SNP spokesperson on Equalities, Women and Children, Angela Crawley MP said:

“The UK government must develop a high-profile information campaign aimed at improving both women’s awareness of their rights, and employers’ understanding of their legal obligations and the business benefits of compliance.
 
“The women most vulnerable to such discrimination are those who know least about their workplace rights – including young workers, recent migrants, and many of the millions of women working in small, non-unionised workplaces. This must be changed.”
 
SNP MP Stuart McDonald, who also spoke in the debate, added:
 
“General awareness raising must also go hand in hand with delivering a significant injection of funding into the specialist information and advice services that pregnant women and new mothers clearly need to help protect their rights at work.
 
“Pregnancy and maternity discrimination presents a massive challenge to women when they are least able to handle the additional stress and financial costs. Too many are unable to benefit from the advice and support services of a trade union, yet cannot afford to pay for legal advice. But since 2010, the funding of free legal advice providers has been drastically cut, just as demand has shot up.” 

More information from Maternity action can be found here.