The Conservatives have hailed the "jobs miracle" of rising female employment since they came to power in response to MSPs' complaints that their welfare reforms have resigned women to low-paid "pink collar jobs".

Women have borne the brunt of benefit cuts, earn less on average than men with lower assets and pensions and are more likely to quit work to become carers, Holyrood's Welfare Reform Committee found.

Benefit cuts have made some even more reliant on men and forced them to remain in abusive relationships for financial security, committee member Claire Adamson told MSPs.

Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess called the committee's findings "disturbing", and pledged that Scotland's new devolved system will "restore trust" in social security.

Labour accused the Tories of an "unfair targeting of women".

But Conservative chief whip John Lamont said reducing dependence on welfare is the best way to increase employment and financial independence.

The Committee found 85% of the £26 billion in benefit, tax credit, pay and pensions cuts "has been taken from women's incomes".

Ms Adamson said: "We heard about women being forced into lower level pink collar jobs, women earning less in the workplace, and the over reliance of women as primary carers."

She described the regime of taking benefits off people who do not engage with the Jobcentre as "punishing and counter-productive".

"Women experiencing domestic and financial abuse have suffered a decrease in their financial autonomy, increasing the risk of remaining or returning to an abuser," she said.

The Committee called for a dedicated action plan from the Scottish Government to mitigate the impact of social security cuts on women, taking stock of employability services, social care and childcare provision.

Ms Burgess said Scotland's new devolved social security system will come with "a set of principles and values" including a commitment to treat benefit claimants with respect and dignity and provide relevant and timely information within a fair, efficient and person-centred system.

Carer's allowance will be increased towards the rate of jobseeker's allowance, she said.

Housing benefit will be sent straight to landlords at the claimant's request, she said, overturning the UK Government's desire to encourage recipients to pay their own debts under Universal Credit.

State childcare provision will be doubled from 16 to 30 hours per week, she added.

She said: "It's a matter of genuine regret to me that conditionality and the benefits sanction wasn't devolved as part of the Smith settlement.

"We continue to believe that the sanctions system is harsh and pushes people into crisis. It's clear it needs wholesale reform."

Labour MSP Jenny Marra said the SNP "miserably failed to show any appetite" for using its powers to mitigate the recently reversed tax credit cuts, and called for a high level summit on women's social security.

"The real prize will be how the next Scottish Government and this Parliament use the new powers over welfare to correct the wrong-headed approach by the Tory Government for the women of Scotland," she said.

Mr Lamont said: "When my party came into Government in 2010 there was a very reasonable view that social security spending was too high, created perverse disincentives to employment and was extremely complex.

"I have no reservations in stating my ambition to see a lower welfare society and the best and most sustainable way to achieve that is to increase employment and financial independence."

He said that across the UK there was a record level of women in employment with almost one million more in work since 2010 general election.

"When we speak of a jobs miracle it's not an idle boast, it can be seen in our constituencies and across ever corner of our country."