The rights of women, older people, children and black and minority ethnic communities must be at the forefront of policy-makers’ minds as Scotland exits the pandemic, according to MSPs who heard evidence which suggested, at its worst, a “wholesale disregard” for equalities and human rights legislation in the response to the public health emergency.

Holyrood’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee found that measures taken to address the pandemic had “multiplied” the effect on women, who were more likely to take on the burden of unpaid care and make up a higher proportion of those employed in low paid and furloughed sectors or as frontline health and social care workers.

Evidence to the committee emphasised that lockdown restrictions, home-working, closure of schools, early release of prisoners, reductions in the work of courts and closure of some services, had particularly impacted on women and children in domestic abuse situations.

The committee’s report recommends that the Scottish government carries out a detailed cumulative impact assessment of the steps taken to mitigate the pandemic, and in relation to its recovery planning, to ensure women are not further impacted disproportionately.

Committee convener Ruth Maguire MSP said: “During this past year, we’ve all faced the challenges of a pandemic and the measures put in place to deal with it. However, it is crystal clear that the reality is those already facing inequality, for example due to their sex, age, disability and race or in those vulnerable situations due to poverty, have been impacted to the greatest extent.

“While the committee recognises that emergency measures needed to be taken to stop the spread of Covid-19, public bodies’ decisions must at all times be compliant with equalities and human rights legislation and standards. The evidence to our inquiry suggested that, at best there is a mixed picture of compliance, and at worst, wholesale disregard.

“It is absolutely crucial that as service providers, law and policy makers we understand completely the impact of our decisions on the people we serve. We must become more rigorous with our data gathering, ensure lived experience is captured in a meaningful way, and prioritise use of impact assessments to take fully informed decisions that not only mitigate harm, but advance human rights and equalities and improve the lives of our citizens.”

She added: “There can be no bright side to a pandemic and Covid-19 is not the wake-up call we wanted. But, lessons can be learned and as we move forward we should know that it is possible that those still suffering can have a better future, without discrimination and with their rights protected, respected and fulfilled.”