A key factor in the bid to end poverty in the Capital by 2030 is the steps being taken by the Council and partners to prevent and mitigate the impacts on women.
The Impact of Poverty on Women and Girls report highlights that women show a higher risk of poverty, and deeper experience of poverty, than men across Scotland.
This is closely linked to child poverty, given there is a proportionately high share of caring responsibilities adopted by women in general - 90% of lone parents are women, 38% of those in Scotland live in poverty.
Women have also been disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis and, alongside childcare, these patterns are strongly driven by gender inequalities in the workplace. Women account for 60% of all low paid workers in Edinburgh and 78% of all part time workers.
In response to these challenges, actions in the Council’s End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan, and other plans, which are expected to prevent or mitigate the impact of poverty on women and girls, include:
- Raising awareness of the gender impacts of poverty
- Helping to increase incomes for women in poverty
- Reducing the costs and impact of childcare responsibilities
Council Leader Cammy Day said:
Tackling poverty is one of our key priorities as a Council and our 2030 target is ambitious but one I’m convinced can be achieved. We have to act decisively if we’re to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh.
It’s a fact that women are more likely to experience poverty and thus it was important that we had a separate update on specific actions being taken to help to further highlight this issue.
It’s also of course not just the material constraints of living in poverty that make things hard, it’s the emotional strain and it is important that we do all we can to tackle this.
This update on actions currently underway was well received by councillors who fully support the work of the End Poverty in Edinburgh Delivery Plan which gives an important overview of where we are. We know that we can’t achieve our goals in insolation. That’s why we are working with partners such as the End Poverty Edinburgh citizen’s group who help us make sure that the real experiences of people who live in poverty are at the centre of shaping the actions we take to tackle poverty and inequality in the capital city.
Analysis of these actions will be continued, and I look forward to the update on the wider End Poverty in Edinburgh progress later in the year where will look at all households and priority groups.