Young women face lack of accessible opportunities

A lack of flexible and accessible employment opportunities is preventing young women from finding or staying in work, says research by the Young Women’s Trust.

Previous research by the charity revealed that young women have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid crisis.

This saw 1.5 million young women losing income during the pandemic and 69% of young women claiming benefits for the first time.

A new survey and peer research conducted by the trust, One size fits no one, looked at whether the employment and benefits systems are meeting young women’s needs.

Many young women reported that a “one size fits all” approach to employment and to the benefits systems is worsening inequalities and making it particularly difficult for those with additional needs to find flexible work and to access support.

Over a quarter of young women reported finding it difficult to apply for a job due to the associated costs, such as travel to and from work. This rises to 38% for those with caring responsibilities.

Young women with disabilities or long-term health conditions face additional barriers, with 65% reporting that they had been discriminated against because of this.

Inflexible and inaccessible work was a key issue, with fewer than three in 10 young women agreeing there are enough job opportunities accessible to them in their local area.

https://www.youngwomenstrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/One-size-fits-no-one-Young-Womens-Trust-report.pdf