Confronting women’s poverty
Confronting women’s poverty
Why is there a gender income gap?
We live in an age of crisis, which impacts on women hardest. Gender inequality, combined with socio- economic crises and public service cuts, have deepened women’s poverty. Gender inequality still pervades all areas of social, economic, political, and cultural life. It results in women having less access to income and financial security than men. Disabled women, women of colour, migrant women, lone parents and unpaid carers are among those most acutely harmed by inequality.
Women tend to manage limited household budgets, often acting as ‘shock absorbers’ of poverty by going without themselves.
Women have less access to well-paid and secure work, occupational pensions and savings than men. The gender pay gap contributes to higher levels of debt for women.
Domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women creates barriers to financial independence and wider access to resources for women.
Women are the majority of lone parents and primary caregivers for children, meaning their poverty is deeply linked with child poverty.
Women undertake more domestic labour than men and are more likely to manage the household.
Women are the majority of unpaid carers for ill, disabled and older people, which impacts their potential to earn a wage.
Women rely more on social security, and are more vulnerable to cuts, because of caring roles and poor pay.
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