A third (34%) of women have said taking on childcare responsibilities has had a negative effect on their career progression, a new report has found.

The study, conducted by beauty brand Avon, found two in five women (41%) say it is difficult for them to work flexibly, when compared to men, due to the lack of flexible working opportunities and little advocating for women to work flexibly.

As a result, the study reports that “[society] holds women back from their earning potential, particularly if they choose or need to be a caregiver”.

The Global Progress for Women Report reflects the views of more than 7,000 women in seven countries, including the UK, as they aim to shine a light on women’s lived experiences of equality and choice in the world of work and money.

Other findings in the report include that income (47%), lack of flexible working opportunities (37%)t5t and the ability to start their own business (20%) are among the biggest inequalities that women believe they face.

Over half of women in the UK (55%) would like to earn more money, whether that is through another income stream or in their current role, and nearly a third (31%) believe access to setting up your own business is in favour of men.

Holly Tucker MBE, founder of Not On The High Street and UK ambassador to creative small businesses said: “After mentoring and championing UK small business owners for over 20 years, I’ve been lucky enough to witness the life-changing benefits of running your own business, especially for women. Helping women flourish and fly, doing what they love, all whilst achieving financial independence, it’s one of the greatest privileges I’ve ever been given.

“However, I know from my experiences of building both of my own two businesses that there’s so much progress still to be made when it comes to achieving gender equality — even though it’s proven how much it would benefit our broader society.

“We want to make that a reality, and that’s why Avon’s purpose to create opportunities for women to earn flexibly with such quality support and coaching really resonates with me.”

Angela Cretu, CEO of Avon, agrees: “Study after study has shown us that when women are empowered and engaged, all of society benefits – a better world for women is a better world for all.

“Whilst some countries are taking positive steps forward, many women are still experiencing barriers when it comes to freedom of choice, work and the opportunity to earn. We want to change that. Removing the barriers to economic participation that women face is crucial to helping drive progress for women.”

Image: Getty