Women's TUC delegates argued that the government cannot eradicate child poverty without addressing women's poverty and called for an "explicitly gendered" policy to end economic inequality during a lively debate on Thursday.

Conference heard that inequality in pay and job opportunities meant that women, especially single mothers, made up the majority of the poor in Britain.

Unite delegate Niki Constantinou said that poor mothers meant poor children, reminding conference that Britain has the worst rate of child poverty in Europe.

"Poverty among children has tripled in the last 20 years to 3.8 million, which is costing society £40 billion," she said, noting that Britain ranked bottom in a UNICEF report last year examining the well-being of children and young people in 21 industrial countries.

The TUC estimates that it would cost £4 billion to hit the government target of halving child poverty by 2010, which could "easily" be paid for by closing tax loopholes for the super-rich.

NUT delegate Max Hide called on the government to adopt an "explicitly gendered" policy, arguing: "We cannot eradicate child poverty without eradicating women's poverty.

"Close the pay gap, give us the right to flexible working and end occupational segregation. So-called women's jobs are consistently undervalued and poorly paid."

NASUWT speaker Kathy Wallis drew delegates' attention to the hidden poverty plaguing rural England, warning that "rural poverty is the forgotten face of poverty."

Source: PUSH Journal, 15 March 2008