A DEMONSTRATION was held in Glasgow as part of UK-wide protests calling for reforms to the childcare sector and parental leave.
The Halloween-themed March Of The Mummies took place in cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle, Norwich and Belfast, organised by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed.
The gathering in Glasgow’s George Square saw protesters donning costumes and carrying banners with messages demanding properly paid parental leave and more funding for childcare.
Ahead of the event, the charity said that “childcare providers are falling like dominoes, mothers are dropping out of the workforce in droves, the gender pay gap increased in 2021, and more families are now living in poverty”.
It added: “These are political choices made by our government and the only way we make them listen is if we organise ... we will be marching in 11 cities across the UK to demand that the Prime Minister prioritise: childcare, parental leave and flexible working.”
Among those attending in Glasgow was SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who tweeted: “Well done to the fantastic @PregnantScrewed team in Glasgow for the demo they put on in George Square. While employment rights are held at Westminster, there’s so much work still to do to ensure all families get the childcare support they deserve.”
The charity said more than 15,000 had attended the marches around the UK, including thousands gathering in London’s Trafalgar Square.
Speaking at that event, Joeli Brearley, founder of the Pregnant Then Screwed charity encouraged the crowd to “force (the Government) to listen” to the voices of mothers.
She said: “We need to force them to listen. Thank you for being here, thank you for being part of this moment.
“When the policymakers finally do something … they’ll pretend it was all their idea, but we will remember this moment.”
TV journalist Kate Quilton, known for presenting Channel 4 shows, branded the pressure put on working mothers as “insane” as she called for reform.
“I was always told ‘you can have it all’, but at this point in my life I’m realising I don’t really think I can have it all,” she said.
“I’ve been advised along the way that at work I almost shouldn’t talk about my kid and at home not to talk about work. We can’t exist like this, it’s insane.”
