The gender poverty gap

Women are the ‘shock absorbers’ of poverty. They are archetypally the ones in a household who are less likely to be able to increase get paid work or increase their paid work due to childcare costs, whilst also typically being responsible for the purchase and preparation of food and managing household budgets.

Stats from the Women’s Budget Group (WBG) showed that single mothers in the UK were hit badly by the pandemic, with a third said to be in significant financial difficulty due to a number of reasons including lower levels of savings.

Zinthiya Trust is an organisation founded by Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan to create a society where people can be free from abuse and poverty.

“We are seeing a huge increase in women suffering due to the cost-of-living crisis,” Zinthiya told us. “Their financial vulnerability is further increased by their relationship circumstances too. Women facing abuse are finding it significantly harder to leave their relationships due to concern about how to support themselves and their children as living costs and food and fuel poverty increases.

“The women who are excluded from claiming social security benefits are the most vulnerable as they face destitution if they separate from a partner or lose work. We see a high proportion of women in this position.”

According to WBG’s report, poverty rates are significantly higher among people from Bangladeshi (53%), Pakistani (48%) and Black (40%) ethnic groups than among White people (19%), making it yet harder to meet rising living costs for women in these groups.

Zinthiya says there is still work to be done. If you or someone you know is in need of help, visit zinthiyatrust.org for free support and advice.

Following on from the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis presents another unprecedented challenge for charity fundraisers.

However, in contrast to the pandemic, we can at least anticipate the impact of a recession and take steps early to adapt our fundraising strategies accordingly.

It is important to start developing resilient strategies now to weather the coming storm, as demand for the services provided by charities will likely rise as living standards drop. 1 STAY RELEVANT A good place to start is to focus your services that may have a rise in demand, making your charity relevant during the cost-of-living crisis. Providing help where it is specifically needed in the local community will help align your charity with the day-to-day lives and values of supporters.

2FIND PARTNERS Now is a great time for charities to seek business partners and corporate supporters. With the cost-of-living crisis featuring so prominently in the national conversation, a lot of organisations will be keen to align themselves with charities and non-profits that are providing relevant services in their area.

3STAY PRESENT It is important for charities to stay present during this turbulent time and maintain their current fundraising activity. It may be challenging, but there will be long-term benefits to those that stay the course and keep showing up where supporters expect them to be.