Liverpool social enterprise The Women’s Organisation highlights the ongoing issue of discrimination and chronic low pay faced by young women in the workplace. Jennie Lewis reports

While there may have been progress on gender equality in the workplace over the last few years, discrimination remains a huge problem – particularly for younger female workers.

There are shocking statistics just released in the latest annual survey from the Young Women’s Trust, which illustrate the scale of the problem, with indications it is getting worse rather than better.

It reveals half of young women (aged 18 to 30) have faced workplace discrimination, up from 42% last year. And young women are more likely than young men to have been offered a zero hours contract – 42% compared to 33%.

Low pay is also a huge worry for young women. 56% said their financial situation was uncomfortable compared to 40% of young men. And they are being paid less than men even for the same work, despite this being illegal.

This study also showed worries about job security are growing. Almost half of young women are worried about not having the right support or opportunities to progress.

As a result, they are much more likely to be struggling with accessing employment and business creation opportunities and are increasingly pessimistic about their prospects. Over a third of young women (35%) say their hopes for the future have gotten worse over the last 12 months.

Since last year there has been a steep drop in young women’s likelihood to vote, despite the election getting closer. 67% of young women told us that they are very or quite likely to vote if there is a general election in the next 12 months. Last year, this was 77%.

For more than 25 years The Women’s Organisation, a Liverpool social enterprise, has been campaigning for more investment and targeted support for women and has helped tens of thousands of women to progress in their careers or start their own businesses.

Germaine Fryer from The Women’s Organisation says the latest findings from the Young Women’s Trust provides yet more evidence that our current and future generation of women are losing out and will continue to do so in the current environment.

She explained: “ there has been very limited focus on women’s economic development but what we are now seeing is wholesale regression in this area.

“It is well documented, not just in the UK but across the world,  women so often bear the brunt when there is no policy focus.

“COVID-19 saw new and unprecedented challenges for women in terms of balancing additional care and their careers. Those sectors in which women are predominant were hit the hardest by furlough, cuts and ultimately redundancy.”

The Young Women’s Trust is putting pressure on the Government to be tougher in areas such as policy, investment, equal pay, job security, zero hours contracts and action against discrimination.

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Germaine added: “The Women’s Organisation is behind that push 100%. She said: “For decades we have been strong advocates for raising a fair deal for women in the UK economy. It isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do, as investing in  women has proven effective in terms of economic growth.

“We would urge Government to look at the evidence and take a new approach to creating a level playing field.”