THE branch leader of the Women’s Equality Party Basingstoke is highlighting the plight of working parents in the town with a musical take on Dolly Parton’s classic 9 to 5.

Stacy Hart took to social media to perform a rendition of ‘Workin’ 5 5o 9, it’s all takin’ and no givin’’ – changing the words of the hit song to show the challenges many parents are facing during the pandemic.

The adapted lyrics were written by Catherine Mayer, co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party.

WE Basingstoke points out that since last March parents have been asked to find more than 110 working days to home-school their children, often forced to adapt to school and nursery closures with less than 24 hours’ notice.

The party said the result is that women are more likely to quit their jobs or be made redundant and that children are being left behind.

They added that many working mothers have been denied time off to look after their children, and many childcare providers face closure this year.

Priya Brown, WE Basingstoke’s local elections candidate for Eastrop and Grove said: “As working parents, we only know too well the pressures of trying to home-school as well as keep a roof over our heads; and the unfair pressure it puts on working dads as they end up with the financial burden to keep everyone afloat.

“Schools and early years providers are doing all they can to help, but how can they keep on doing so without the vital funding they need to survive and no priority to vaccinate staff and stay safe.

“Sadly, the whole situation perpetuates the stereotypes that exist in society and the gender inequality our children will see and grow up with. This surely cannot be right when equality is enshrined in UK law?”

Through an open letter sent to Gavin Williamson, WE is calling on the government to introduce urgent measures to ensure childcare and parents thrive through lockdown and beyond. These are:

1. A legal right to shared furlough or guaranteed Self-Employment Income Support for all parents. Currently, parents only have the right to request furloughing and 75% have been refused.

2. Early Years and school staff to be prioritised in the next round of vaccines so that they can reopen safely as soon as possible.

3. Increase child benefits to £50 per child and maintain the £20-a-week uplift in universal credit. With children at home, household bills are mounting and forcing families into poverty.

4. Ten days extra paid annual leave for all parents and 20 days for single parents to help them manage caring responsibilities without the risk of redundancy.

5. A bailout for nurseries to stop them closing permanently.

WE Basingstoke will be holding its next branch meeting tonight (Tuesday) at 8pm. You can register online to attend via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @wepBasingstoke.