Blog

 

Working women have long faced a shifting landscape of challenges. Practical considerations like caring responsibilities and sourcing affordable childcare, combined with a propensity to doubt ourselves and historically stubborn glass ceilings,  can stifle many women’s ability to find and thrive at work. 

 

It’s a scenario we’re all too familiar with when working with women on Ingeus programmes – 12,000 of whom we supported into work via the Restart Scheme alone in the past 12 months. Overwhelmingly they cite caring responsibilities for children and other family members as their greatest barrier to work and it’s a picture reflected nationally: more than a quarter of women aged between 16 and 64 are economically inactive due to responsibilities at home. As a result, we see a lack of self-belief and inflexible job design that contributes to barriers to work. 

 

Yet women have a huge role to play in the labour market. The women we’ve supported into work are not all looking for part-time, entry-level roles, albeit that might be just the right thing for some. In the past year the women we have helped included a finance director, vice president of revenue, and head of commercial partnerships. Supporting more women into employment could dramatically influence the Government’s ambitions of an 80% employment rate and help to reduce child poverty. 

 

I was therefore delighted to recently join forces with other specialists in women’s employment to brief MPs on our work in this area. Organised by the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), we welcomed male and female MPs alike, including the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to a briefing on supporting women into employment. It was encouraging to see the MPs’ genuine interest in our services and hear their acknowledgement of issues facing women, some sharing their own experiences as working women and mums.  

 

More so, the dozen or so providers attending were able to speak as a sector, explaining the huge range of innovative approaches taken in supporting women to get ready for work. I was proud to be a part of such a talented, committed group of professionals. Some spoke of self-employment routes for women leaving the criminal justice system, others of cultural and language barriers they helped their participants overcome. Confidence building and upskilling were common themes, as was the importance of working closely with employers to find flexible roles that recognise and appreciate the skills these women bring to the workforce. 

 

I shared how Ingeus helps women tackle their employability issues, health barriers, and social stigmas. Also, our work with employers and young people, as well as the partnerships we’ve formed with women’s specialist organisations. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and it was great to see the breadth of support being offered by organisations at the very top of their game. I echo ERSA’s call for both devolved and national funding for that support to continue.   

 

For me, the day reinforced just how important our work is to women jobseekers. As a working mum of two neurodivergent children, I understand the competing demands of work and home. I know for sure I couldn’t undertake my role without the support of my husband and I’m grateful to work for an employer that values and supports all its team members equally. Ingeus’ 0% gender pay gap and abundance of senior female leaders speaks volumes. I’m equally aware that not everyone is in as fortunate position as I am.  

 

Work is about more than a payslip. It brings purpose, identity, and pride, while modelling positive behaviours for families and communities. Every improvement we make as a sector, whether in services, policy, or employer engagement, is helping to make that happen.