Engender blog

Cost of Living Crisis: Gaps in support for women on low incomes in Scotland

As part of our blog series on the cost of living crisis, Laura Robertson from The Poverty Alliance talks about their recent report with the Scottish Women's Budget Group on the detrimental impacts on the lives of women living on low-incomes in Scotland caused by the crisis.

“I spoke to my friend who told me she has been starving and only eats at night. I have started doing that though it didn’t go well with me the first day, but I will get used to it.” (Idia, aged 35-44, lone mother and asylum seeker)

The cost of living crisis is having devastating impacts on people living on low incomes in Scotland. Research with 38 women affected by the cost of living crisis in Scotland published in November by the Poverty Alliance and the Scottish Women’s Budget Group reveals the devastating impacts on women living in a range of circumstances across Scotland. Our research found that women are facing deepening levels of poverty and hardship as they struggle to afford essentials. This blog examines gaps in support for women living on low incomes, reflecting on both the Autumn Statement and the Scottish Budget.

A new look for the Public Sector Equality Duty?

The public sector equality duty (PSED) is the key lever for gender mainstreaming in policymaking in Scotland. As mainstreaming fans will know, Engender and other equality stakeholders have been advocating for a review of the Scottish Specific Duties (SSDs) of the PSED, which is now happening.

At present the SSDs are not fit for purpose in embedding equality at the heart of public sector work, supporting public bodies in fulfilling their obligations, and ultimately better enabling equality and fulfilment of rights for women and others oppressed groups. So while we were really pleased when the review was announced, we were disappointed that the current proposals are far from ambitious enough. We’ve been working this year to push the Scottish Government to go much further with the review, so the Public Sector Equality Duty can actually fulfil its potential as something which pushes, and supports, public bodies to actually achieve better outcomes for women and people with protected characteristics.

GUEST BLOG: Giving birth during the pandemic

We've been working with the ALLIANCE and The Health and Social Care Academy to gather information about experiences of pregnancy and maternity services during Covid-19 from women across Scotland. Alongside our work, we're sharing a series of guest blogs reflecting on those experiences. Here, Barbara Flynn shares her experience of giving birth in the summer of 2020.

GUEST BLOG: Economic Abuse and the cost of living crisis

As part of our guest blog series on the cost of living crisis, researcher Jenn Glinski explores how the current rise in costs is impacting victim-survivors of economic abuse.

Content warning: This blog discusses different forms of domestic abuse and their impact.

The current cost of living crisis and the difficult decision to ‘heat or eat’ is one that victim-survivors of economic abuse are all too familiar with. However, unlike the government-imposed crisis that the rest of the country has been subjected to, the daily cost of living crisis victim-survivors experience is deliberately forced upon them by their abusive (ex)partners. Experiencing economic abuse prevents you from accessing the basic essentials in life, such as your money, food, and clothes, limiting your financial freedom and life choices. There is, therefore, serious concern that the current cost of living crisis will exacerbate the financial harm caused and force women to stay with abusive partners for longer.