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The mother penalty: the women short-changed by a government support scheme (video)

The COVID-19 support scheme for self-employed people discriminated against mothers. We hear one woman's story and learn from the NGO that is taking the government to court.

The COVID-19 support scheme for self-employed people, introduced by Rishi Sunak in April 2020, penalises women who have taken maternity leave, essentially counting this time as being the equivalent of taking a holiday. In this video we hear from one such mother, Jen, as well as the NGO who is taking the government to court for discriminating against women.

This video is part of our series The Unlawful State: Stories from a Pandemic where we lift up the voices of those whose lives are being disproportionately affected by the coronavirus crisis and hear stories of how civil society are responding. Click here for more.

Charlotte Threipland

Charlotte Threipland

Charlotte is a lawyer, researcher and writer and Editor of openJustice. From exposing racial unfairness in the criminal justice system, to reporting on how the government fails to meet its legal duties towards marginalised communities, Charlotte is focused on holding power to account. Tweets at @CMThreipland

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Oscar Rickett

Oscar Rickett

Oscar Rickett is a journalist who has written and reported for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and Vice. He is a copy editor at Middle East Eye and has worked on a number of documentaries for Channel 4. 

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