Diverse Motherhood research project calls for stronger support for ethnic minority mothers

New Open University (OU) research has identified that ethnic minority mothers in the UK face significant barriers returning to work due to the triple penalty of gender, motherhood and ethnicity.

The project, ‘Supporting Diverse Motherhoods for Work Inclusion’, found that unaffordable childcare, inadequate public and employer support, and fragmented flexible working policies were all major factors affecting mothers returning to the workforce, while those from ethnic minority backgrounds also experience a lack of family or community support.

Dr Wenjin Dai, a Senior Lecturer in the Business School who led the project, said:

Three big reasons working mums struggle: childcare is too expensive and hard to find, employer support is inconsistent and insufficient, and for many — especially mums from diverse backgrounds — family or community help is just not there. We need stronger support from government, employers and communities to truly support working mothers and parents.”

Dr Wenjin Dai

Wenjin, who experienced her own struggles following maternity leave, collaborated with Business School colleagues Dr Francesca Calò, Dr Fidèle Mutwarasibo, Dr Steven Parker, and Dr Charlotte Barrow, to explore how the intersectional influences of gender, ethnicity and motherhood affect working mothers. 

Their study included interviews and focus groups with 101 mothers, 87 of whom were from ethnic minority backgrounds, with the aim of understanding their experiences and views on how government, employers, and communities could better support their returns to work. 

The provision of affordable, accessible, flexible and culturally attentive childcare was highlighted as a key recommendation as well as ensuring systematic and consistent support implemented by employers and increasing government investment in community-based initiatives. 

This project was undertaken as one of the OU’s Open Societal Challenges, a research initiative that aims to apply the research excellence of OU academics to some of the most pressing societal challenges facing people across the UK and worldwide. It also provided evidence for the OU’s current ‘Mumentum’ initiative which supports mothers and primary caregivers returning to work. 

Read report