Working mothers bearing brunt of mental health problems in pandemic, poll finds

Working mothers bearing brunt of mental health problems in pandemic, poll finds

The research also lays bare the economic price mothers have paid while Britain has battled its biggest health crisis in living memory, with a fifth of working mothers saying their career development had slowed because of the pandemic, a finding The Fawcett Society described as worrying. 

"Women have shouldered the heaviest burdens throughout the pandemic and we know they are losing out economically,” said Felicia Willow, interim CEO of the charity. “We need concerted and urgent action from the Government and employers to ensure the clock doesn't permanently turn back on gender equality. The Government's pandemic policy response has failed to understand and protect the needs of women and there simply aren't enough women at the decision-making table.”

The Telegraph's findings, which form part of the Equality Check campaign aimed at shining a light on the impact of the lockdowns on women, add weight to a growing body of evidence that while the pandemic has taken a toll on both genders, it is women who are taking on more unpaid work in the home.

“I found myself waking up in the night, worrying that there's not enough time to get everything done,” says Kerry Bannigan, 38, a full-time working mother who has spent