Campaigning charity Pregnant Then Screwed is holding a national Halloween-themed “March of the Mummies” protest on Saturday 29 October.
A family-friendly Exeter march will gather outside John Lewis at 10.30am before departing for County Hall via Southernhay and Topsham Road at 11am.
A rally with speakers will then take place which is expected to end by 1pm.
The protest aims to put pressure on the government to help those with young children by providing good quality affordable childcare, properly paid parental leave and default flexible working arrangements.
Demonstrations are also taking place in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Norwich and Belfast. Organisers expect the event to attract more than 10,000 families across the UK.
Halloween fancy dress is optional, but encouraged.
Pregnant Then Screwed was launched on International Women’s Day in 2015. Founder Joeli Brearly had recently been fired by voicemail just two days after informing her employer that she was pregnant and quickly realised her experience was not unique.
The project began as a platform for women to share their stories of discrimination and is now a registered charity campaigning against the the “motherhood penalty”, a term referring to disadvantages experienced by working mothers, including in pay levels and perceived competence.
Pregnant Then Screwed supports tens of thousands of women each year, including providing free advice via a dedicated helpline and assistance with legal action.
It also pushes for improvements to public policy and works with Members of Parliament, the NHS and other healthcare organisations.
The charity says that the UK has the second most expensive childcare system in the world and the third worst-ranking maternity pay and the least generous paternity pay in Europe.
Mothers face a pay penalty of 45% lower earnings in the six years after giving birth.
March of the Mummies will gather at 10.30am on Saturday 29 October at John Lewis before departing for County Hall at 11am, with a rally due to end by 1pm.
You can register your interest in taking part on EventBrite. There is information for volunteers who would like to help with the Exeter event on the Pregnant Then Screwed website.
