Rubber-gloved protest at cuts' 'disproportionate' effect on women

More than 2,000 marchers wearing rubber gloves and waving feather dusters took to the streets of central London yesterday to protest against cuts they say are disproportionately hard on women.

The Fawcett Society, which organised the march, chose a 1950s theme to warn the Government not to "turn back time" on women's equality. The charity says female unemployment is increasing as public-sector jobs are cut and women on low incomes are getting poorer.