Women’s rights falling backwards

‘Universal Credit is clearly a regressive step for women’s economic equality’.

Part of the UK’s coalition government’s June 2010 Budget and Spending Review was to be Welfare Reform; it was deemed to be the ‘most radical shake up of the benefits system since the foundation of the welfare state.

Northern Ireland has yet to see the full impact of the reforms, but notwithstanding this, there is evidence to suggest that women and children will be disproportionately affected by the changes.

One of the facets of the UK’s new Universal Credit benefit system being rolled out will be to pay the benefit to ‘a nominated person in each household’; the nominated person is likely to be the main earner and therefore likely to be the male.

This is clearly a regressive step for women’s economic equality and a return to the ‘male head of household/breadwinner’.

And detrimental.

Research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) highlighted that when women are responsible for household expenditure, three quarters of it goes on childcare, food and education. This spending highlights that women are notably more likely to buy items that improve the welfare of children.

The success of Universal Credit also depends upon some childcare infrastructure being in place to enable parents to find work.

Unfortunately, Northern Ireland has no such an infrastructure.

According to research by Employers for Childcare Charitable Group, families in Northern Ireland are paying £162 per week for childcare, which is one of the highest amounts in Europe.

And research into Universal Credit conducted by Save the Children showed that many low income mothers are considering leaving work because they can no longer afford childcare.

Northern Ireland has reached a pivotal juncture, and an important conceptual shift is necessary to ensure families can weather the storm of the welfare reform changes.

The fact that the Northern Ireland Executive has yet to publish a Childcare Strategy or provide mitigation details on welfare reform, is very telling.

They are, quite simply, failing to respond to the needs of women and children.

If mothers are to be encouraged into the workplace then the Executive must provide help with childcare as well as publishing a Childcare Strategy.

It must ensure exemptions in welfare reform proposals for low income families with children.

And it must pay Universal Credit to the main carer in households – which is normally the woman.

Unless we see some real action, the impact of welfare reforms will be dire – as will the consequences for the economic independence and rights and needs of women – and children – in Northern Ireland.