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Figures show businesses are making twice the number of women redundant than men, with government ministers saying this is due to the additional costs of maternity leave and flexible working.

A group of senior female ministers are concerned equal opportunities rules are being breached, after figures revealed a higher proportion of women workers are being laid off.

The issue was highlighted by the National Economic Council at a recent meeting, with the ministers saying employers are increasingly put off by the additional cost of new legislation, such as longer maternity leave.

Female ministers have called for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to make an inquiry into the issue.

Harriet Harman, the women's minister, says: 'There is a major fear about women being targeted by their employers during the downturn. This is unlawful.'

A raft of new measures has been suggested by the female ministers to protect women in the workplace, including training to help them compete for jobs and monitoring firms' treatment of female workers.

Dr John Philpott, chief economist and public policy director at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, claims the figures are not true.

He states more women will lose their job in this recession than in any previous downturn, but only because there are more female workers than previously.

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