Brown Don't Frown Podcast

Season 5: Ep 37 - Pregnant Then Screwed Founder Joeli Brearley on pregnancy discrimination, fixing childcare and creating a fairer workplace for mothers

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Episode notes

The first guest of this special series on the joys and challenges of maternity and motherhood, is Joeli Brearley, Founder and Director of Pregnant Then Screwed. It started off as a safe space for mothers to share stories of their pregnancy discrimination and has evolved to become a one-of-a kind charity that lobbies against the gender pay gap, maternity discrimination and aims to be a voice for working mothers.

Joeli shares striking examples of pregnancy discrimination she’s come across through PTS’s Advice Line and how she’s used these examples to galvanise change in maternity policy. She also talks about the work PTS is doing to reach underserved groups and more Black and Brown women.

Childcare in the UK has been unfit for purpose for a long time. We ask, how do we fix the system? And how can we better engage with employers to encourage them to make their workplaces the best they can be for working parents?

We finish with Joeli sharing her thoughts on the best thing about being a mum and the hardest thing, and one piece of advice she’d give to expectant or new mothers.

You can join the March of the Mummies protest on childcare reform and better parental leave on 29 October, taking place across 11 cities in the UK: https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/event-march-of-the-mummies/

RESET 2022 Online Festival of motherhood and mental health takes place from 12 - 16 September: https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/reset-2022-festival-of-motherhood-and-mental-health/

Follow Pregnant Then Screwed:

Instagram - @pregnant_then_screwed

Twitter - @PregnantScrewed

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