Thousands of protesters gathered in Central London as part of the March of the Mummies demonstration. Families including young children gathered on October 29 in Trafalgar Square to call for Government reforms to the childcare sector and parental leave.
People were seen donning bandages, vampire costumes and witches’ hats as they took part in the Halloween themed protest, organized by the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed. Mothers stood outside Downing Street shouting “Dear Rishi Sunak, we want our choices back” as they protested against unaffordable childcare and parental leave structures.
Demonstrators dressed in Halloween outfits including skeleton costumes banged drums at the front of the procession. Protesters held banners reading: “My skills got me hired! My work got me fired!” and “affordable childcare now” as they marched to Parliament Square.
More than 15,000 people are expected to take to the streets across the UK, including in Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Norwich. Among the activists taking part in the march today is MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy, and MP for Twickenham, Munira Wilson.
Joeli Brearley, Founder and CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, comments: “Mothers from all over the UK have come together today because enough is enough. We want urgent progress on women’s rights. It’s the 21st Century, yet 54,000 mothers are being pushed out of the workforce every year for simply daring to procreate.
“We have the second most expensive childcare in the OECD, the third worst ranking maternity benefit and the worst ranking paternity benefit in Europe. Data from the ONS shows that women of childbearing age are dropping like flies from the workforce. The childcare sector is in a mess; thousands of nurseries have collapsed this year alone. We have had enough.”
Source: mylondon.news