I enjoyed reading your Women’s Day supplement (Examiner last week) but you made a huge omission.

You did not give any space to the army of women who work for nothing. If these women did not work then our island economy would collapse.

Firstly, there are the multitude of grannies who look after pre-school children because childcare is unaffordable or unavailable.

Picking up and dropping off schoolchildren and looking after them before or after school because there are no after school clubs or breakfast clubs.

Secondly, there are the mountain of carers looking after elderly parents or partners because there are not enough working carers available or the costs of caring are too high.

Finally, there are the legions of women who volunteer for charities like Hospice, Live at Home or charities for looking after whose with disabilities.

They provide professional services such as accountancy, legal, directorships, retail, caring, catering and personnel.

The army of grannies, carers and volunteers are crucial to the economy.

If they did not give their services free of charge then many parents could not work, more care would fall to the overstretched and creaky care sector and the voluntary sector would collapse.

Surely, your supplement could have given a little space to these essential women workers?

Name and address supplied

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This letter was first published in the Isle of Man Examiner of March 14.