Stumbling over stereotypes in the U.K.

Top headlines this week: U.S. President Joe Biden delivered his first policy response to nationwide protests over institutionalized racism. New York City broke down its Covid-19 vaccination data by ethnicity for the first time, and the mayor said it underscored a " profound problem" with racial inequality. In the United Arab Emirates, a plan to offer citizenship to a select group of foreigners generated a rare public discussion about rights. When U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said mothers everywhere were owed an enormous debt of gratitude for juggling childcare responsibilities alongside other duties during the pandemic, he struck a chord, just not the one he may have hoped to. Sunak's comments, made last week during questions to the Treasury committee, set off a storm of angry Twitter responses from users who said his remarks perpetuated stereotypes about women. "Erm @RishiSunak, you know Mums work too and don't just look after the kids and make meals," Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labour party, said in one of the more polite social media posts. "Happy to brief you on the inequality and sexism women face at work." Calling out perceived stereotypes is more urgent than ever. Studies in Britain and elsewhere show mothers are bearing the brunt of childcare during the pandemic, impacting their health, as well as careers. More women are drinking and gambling, and around a quarter out of a job in the U.K. aren't looking to return to the workforce -- a record low. Those depressing findings may explain why women and men in the U.K. are calling out public portrayals they say hark back to the 1950s. In the same week Sunak faced flak, the government withdrew a social media advertisement asking people to "stay home, save lives," after criticism for sexism. It showed women doing chores and educating children, while the only man featured was relaxing on the couch with his family. "The risk of women going back to traditional roles with the pandemic is even greater given that gender stereotypes remain widespread," an Ipsos survey of nationals of G7 countries warned in November. And so even though some women might find the advertisement's depiction depressingly accurate, they may not appreciate it being publicly endorsed by those in charge of the country. Follow Us Get the newsletter By the Numbers Racial and gender disparities resulted in growing losses to the U.S. economy that amounted to $2.6 trillion in 2019, according to a new study co-authored by Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly. "The findings should compel us to move with urgency to eliminate inequities both because it is the right thing to do and because it will be critical to maintaining global competitiveness," said Laura Choi, vice president for community development of the San Francisco Fed. Before You Go Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi talks about elevating the concerns of Black people around the world. Yale and Princeton no longer have Donald Trump on their case over how they deal with race in admissions and campus life. Guess how many Black executives sit at the top of Britain's blue-chip companies? The answer might surprise you.    Like getting the Bloomberg Equality newsletter? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and gain expert analysis from exclusive subscriber-only newsletters. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more.   You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Equality newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022