Ad of the Day: Unhappy Mother’s Day cards reveal shocking childcare stats
Dedicated to ending the motherhood penalty, Pregnant Then Screwed has launched ‘Unhappy Mother’s Day’ to raise awareness of the rising cost of childcare in the UK and the major implications this has on women.
‘Unhappy Mother’s Day’ cards / Pregnant The Screwed
Working with Wonderhood Studios, the charity is flipping annual Mother’s Day celebrations on its head with a series of provocative cards that tell the real story of how government inaction is impacting women.
The project comes just days after the UK government rejected a request to examine childcare costs. Over 113,000 petitioners called for an independent review of childcare funding and affordability, but on International Women’s Day it was announced there were no further plans to look into the issue.
A survey of 26,000 parents conducted by Pregnant Then Screwed and Mumsnet looked at the impact of childcare costs on families. Findings highlighted that 43% of mums are considering leaving their job because of childcare costs, with 62% saying that the cost of childcare is now the same or more than their rent or mortgage. Sadly, one in four parents also said that they have had to cut down on necessary expenses such as food, heating or clothing to afford childcare.
“Unaffordable childcare is a significant contributor to the ’motherhood penalty’,” said Lauren Fabianski, campaigns and communications manager at Pregnant Then Screwed.
“It forces women to take less well-paid roles, work fewer hours, achieve less seniority and get into debt. We think this ’Unhappy Mother’s Day’ campaign is a great way to keep the national conversation going and remind the government that mothers have had enough.”
Illustrated by Rosie Kirton, the truthful cards aim to raise awareness of the many challenges mothers experience when trying to have both children and a career. To amplify the message, physical copies of the cards are being sent to influencers and MPs, including Rishi Sunak. Further support for the project will come from a hug social media push.
“This is such an important issue that holds women and their careers back,” added Jessica Lovell, founder and chief security officer at Wonderhood Studios.
“In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, it feels more pertinent than ever. Our ambition is to use Mother’s Day to get the issue of unaffordable childcare talked about and keep it on the agenda in a bid to drive meaningful change.”
