Stacey CollinsSo after much anticipation, the government’s Spending Review was finally presented to Parliament earlier this week. Whilst we’ve all heard the keywords private and public sector, budgets and economy milled around this week, the review this year
seems overwhelmingly pessimistic with cut-backs, job-loss and spending-freezes transforming from proposals to reality.
With a deficit of £149 billion, Chancellor George Osborne's task of finding budgets to cut or freeze was not one that was envied.
Several changes were announced by the Chancellor including abolishing the Warm Front programme which helped the poorest keep their houses warm and reforming the public sector pensions. But what do these changes mean to us women?
Well the Fawcett Society, a group that strives for gender equality, feel that the Spending Review affects women more so than men. They reveal that an independent analysis of the budget shows that 72 per cent of the cuts and savings that are to be made will be from women’s pockets.
The Health in Pregnancy Grant, Child Benefit and Sure Start Maternity Grant are all going to be removed or revised. These are benefits that more women than men depend on. The Fawcett Society also highlights the fact that the public sector pay freeze will affect the 65 per cent of women workers more so in comparison to the 35 per cent of male workers in the public sector.
Perhaps one of the biggest impacting changes for women is the increase in State Pension age. Retired 60 year old female workers can forget sitting at home knitting, cooking and planning excursions whilst their male counterparts are at work because as from 2020, it will be expected that both men and women work until they are 66.
Do you think that women have got the raw end of the deal? Or do you think that the cuts and freezes that have been made are fair?
The Health in Pregnancy Grant, Child Benefit and Sure Start Maternity Grant are all going to be removed or revised. These are benefits that more women than men depend on. The Fawcett Society also highlights the fact that the public sector pay freeze will affect the 65 per cent of women workers more so in comparison to the 35 per cent of male workers in the public sector.
Perhaps one of the biggest impacting changes for women is the increase in State Pension age. Retired 60 year old female workers can forget sitting at home knitting, cooking and planning excursions whilst their male counterparts are at work because as from 2020, it will be expected that both men and women work until they are 66.
Do you think that women have got the raw end of the deal? Or do you think that the cuts and freezes that have been made are fair?
1 comment:
Seeing as though women have strived for equality with men for decades, I think its fair to say that they should also work an equal amount of time to them. I'm not sure I agree that it should be until they are 66 but I do believe it should be the same for both men and women.
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