Gender and race equality
Introduction
Income security
Protection for asylum-seekers
Gender and race equality
Public attitudes to poverty
Giving people living in poverty a voice
All over the world, women and people from ethnic minority groups are likely to be poorer than the general population. The same is true in the UK. Sixty-nine per cent of Bangladeshi and Pakistani people live in poverty in the UK, compared to 20 per cent of the white population. The incomes of female pensioners are 40 per cent lower than those of male pensioners.
Oxfam works with policy-makers and service providers to make sure they are aware of the different needs of men, women, and people from minority groups – and to make sure that their policies and services take these needs into account. We also support community groups to develop skills and confidence to talk to decision-makers about the problems they face and to look at solutions to poverty that meet their needs.
Making services meet women’s needs, Redcar and Cleveland
With Oxfam’s support, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council became aware that three-quarters of people using their job centre and training courses were men. So they took employment advisors out to places where women were, such as schools and playgrounds, making sure that both women and men benefited from council support in finding work.
Community cohesion, Oldham
Oldham experienced race riots in 2001. Since then, a lot of money has been spent to tackle poverty and increase community cohesion, without making much difference. Oxfam’s partner Peacemaker is working with Bangladeshi and Pakistani young people in Oldham to find out how race affects poverty and disadvantage. The group will use this information to lobby the local council for anti–poverty measures that meet the needs of the community, and really work.
