Children need not be left at home while their mothers head off to work in the office, it has been suggested.

The growth of homeworking, supported by VoIP telephony systems, means that women have the opportunity to keep up with their career while still being a mother, claimed Karen Gill, the founder of business resource and support service everywoman.

"Working from home is an enormous motivator for women with children, who still do the lion's share of home and family care," she said.

Ms Gill highlighted that the major benefits of working from home for women are greater flexibility in managing their lives and the added time women can create for themselves or their children.

The spread of VoIP may see more women returning to jobs at larger corporations as they can balance their home life with work more easily.

Currently, one-fifth of self-employed women say that the main reason they are working for themselves is their family commitments.