Jess Phillips has said Britain has 'gained weight' thanks to women's unpaid work.
The British minister responsible for protecting the rights of women and girls and combating violence said the country had relied on voluntary support from the female population for decades.
She stressed that this practice is “deeply sexist”, which prevents the active inclusion of such services in state programs.
The politician admitted that she “hated” the title of her job, stressing that combating gender-based violence should become “a routine task for every government agency.”
Birmingham MP Yardley has highlighted a systemic problem in Whitehall where the safety of women and girls is seen as the sole responsibility of the Home Office.
Phillips noted that pushing the issue as a “priority” sometimes caused resentment among colleagues, which she said did not make her popular within government circles.
Asked about resistance from officials, she quoted a typical reaction: “This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
“Why should I be involved in teaching children the basics of healthy relationships in schools? Why is it my responsibility to provide psychological support, regardless of the reasons for getting into a crisis situation?”
“The secret is simple: all this is based on unpaid women’s labor.
The roots of this phenomenon lie in deep inequality: when women did not have access to services, they self-organized, creating shelters and counseling centers on a volunteer basis.
They laid out mattresses in shelters, brought in trained professionals and donated their time without any compensation.”
The politician stressed that many do not realise how much the British system has historically exploited female solidarity, which continues to influence government policy in this area.
“Nobody was giving away diabetes drugs. Drug companies weren't saying, 'This is vital — let's just give it away for free,'” Phillips said.
“This is exactly what women did in the 1960s–1980s while the country profited from their free work.
At the same time, the problem was systematically devalued, refusing to recognize its fundamental importance for national security.
It will not be possible to change this situation quickly; it will take many years.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
