Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

13.43
13.44
13.45
13.46
BME mothers are highly likely to experience poverty in the UK, both as a direct result of racial
and gender discrimination, and through the very fact of being a mother. Many BME mothers
‘go without’, have unequal access to the household purse, have limited access to money and
experience material deprivation. 105 The introduction of Universal Credit and the single payment
will disproportionately affect BME women. Many BME women have so little access to money
that their husbands are in control of all aspects of their lives. 106 Inequality within households
has allowed the active abuse and control of BME women’s access to money by their partners. 107
This situation will be exacerbated by the single payment of Universal Credit going to the highest
earner, most likely to be a man, and will make many BME women more vulnerable to financial
and other forms of violence and abuse.
BME women get trapped in low-paid, part-time work because of discrimination and because
they tend to be the jobs they can fit around their caring responsibilities. Current provisions
also make childcare inaccessible to many ethnic minority women, directly affecting their
earning potential. (See Appendix: 18) BME women have the least access to free childcare, use
childminders more than other groups, and pay for all or part of this minding at twice the rate
of the next highest paying group. 108 BME women are also disproportionately likely to be lone
mothers. The rising cost of living, reduced income and cuts in benefits are already in particular
affecting BME women and children pushing many below the poverty line.
Case study: 109
Susana, a BME woman head of household, works part-time and receives some benefits.
She gets up at 3am and has to take four buses to reach her different workplaces cleaning
offices. She collects her older child from school and then goes to work again in the
evenings when offices close. She earns the minimum wage and has to cover childcare
costs of £10 per hour. As a result of cuts in her Housing Benefit and other benefits she was
forced to withdraw her child from care. She is currently leaving her youngest son under the
care of her oldest daughter while she goes to work. “I know this is not right but I don’t have
any other choice. We have to eat and pay the rent, so I have to work.”
Asylum seeking women are being forced into poverty by insufficient financial support, such as
limited short-term ‘Section 4’ support, that does not adequately recognise the additional costs
of pregnancy and child-rearing. 110 (See Article 9 for further information)
Research has shown the complex nature of the multifaceted issues that some BME women
face, highlighting the need for specialist BME women’s services to adequately cater for their
needs and the enormous value of providing these services, including advice on economic
and social benefits and VAWG. 111 However these services are currently under threat and are
experiencing cuts in funding at a time of increased demand. If these organisations disappear
105. Warburton Brown. C (2011) Exploring BME Maternal Poverty: The financial lives of ethnic minority mothers in Tyne and Wear. Oxfam
GB: Oxford http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/exploring-bme-maternal-poverty-the-financial-lives-of-ethnic-minoritymothers-i-120665
106. Warburton Brown. C (2011) Exploring BME Maternal Poverty: The financial lives of ethnic minority mothers in Tyne and Wear. Oxfam
GB: Oxford http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/exploring-bme-maternal-poverty-the-financial-lives-of-ethnic-minoritymothers-i-120665
107. The Fawcett Society (2009) Poverty Pathways: Ethnic minority women’s livelihoods. Fawcett and Oxfam: London http://www.womens.
cusu.cam.ac.uk/campaigns/bem/fawcett_ethnicminoritywomen.pdf
108. The Fawcett Society (2009) Poverty Pathways: Ethnic minority women’s livelihoods. Fawcett and Oxfam: London http://www.womens.
cusu.cam.ac.uk/campaigns/bem/fawcett_ethnicminoritywomen.pdf
109. Latin American Women’s Rights Service http://www.lawrs.org.uk/ Accessed: 22/03/13
110. Querton, C. (2012) “It feels like as a woman I’m not welcome’: A gender analysis of UK law, policy and practice. Asylum Aid: London http://
www.asylumaid.org.uk/data/files/ifeelasawoman_reportv2.pdf
111. Women’s Resource Centre (2011) Hidden Value: Demonstrating the extraordinary impact of women’s voluntary and community
organisations. WRC: London http://thewomensresourcecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/hidden_value_wrc_sroi_report_2011_22.pdf
142 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013