Real women, real lives

The GenderWorks project reached women who were experiencing poverty all over England, Scotland and Wales, as well as in other European countries.

Below is the story of just one of those women, which illustrates how a lack of consideration for the different needs of women and men on the part of policy makers and service providers makes it harder for women living in poverty to overcome the challenges they face.

Margo's story

Margo Kirkwood, 53, lives alone in a rented council house in Blackhall in Paisley, Scotland, an area still affected by deprivation despite attempts at regeneration. Her estranged husband died in early 2007, and her son moved out in September 2008.

Unable to meet the cost of her husband's funeral, Margo was sued by the funeral directors and forced to declare herself bankrupt. As a result, she can't open a bank account, and couldn't apply for credit until June 2009. Her TV license and gas payments are overdue, and the gas company is threatening to install a metre, which would make her gas more expensive.

"I'm really struggling to meet my needs," says Margo. "Being on benefits, I've not been able to eat as well as I should, and I still have to pay water rates and the TV license - it's just not enough. I tend to cut back on food - I buy cheaper versions and less of it. I've lost a lot of weight. I can make a pot of soup last me three days."

Margo has suffered depression on and off for years. Her current bout began around three years ago, and has left her unable to work since November 2007. She is taking anti-depressants, but believes her illness is exacerbated by her lack of money, which means she is unable to eat healthily or enjoy any quality of life.

"I can't buy new clothes or go out. Your food goes, and your quality of life is 'mince'," she says. "People don't understand what it's like. It's a relentless struggle every day. You can't spend money on anything without feeling guilty."

Shopping, transport and support - or the lack of it

Blackhall suffers from a lack of local facilities, making the everyday chores done mostly by women more difficult. Almost all local shops have closed down, leaving residents with a choice between using the one small, expensive shop left on the housing scheme, or making the 15-minute walk to the nearest supermarket - and the long trek back with heavy bags.

During the day, a bus visits the estate every half an hour, providing a lifeline for residents. But the service ends at six p.m., leaving them effectively stranded, unless they are willing to pay for a taxi or walk significant distances in the dark.

Margo used be part of a community-led project called "Blackhall for All", which received funding to convert an empty shop and provide services such as Internet access, youth activities and photocopying. It also hosted surgeries run by other agencies providing support and advice on financial, health and job matters.

The project, which was used almost entirely by women, ran successfully for five years. However, when funding was withdrawn, the voluntary management committee was unable to keep it going, and it has since been converted to a learning centre.

"We do feel the lack of it," says Margo. "Now people have to go into town, and it adds to the costs and logistics."

Frustrated and humiliated by Jobcentre Plus

Like many women, Margo has spent much of her life shouldering caring responsibilities, but she now finds herself with no one to look after for the first time since she was a young girl, and must instead take on the new role of main breadwinner.

She describes the centralisation of Jobcentre Plus and the benefits system as a hugely frustrating experience.

While signing on and contacting potential employers must be done from her local Job Centre, benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Incapacity Benefit are dealt with at Greenock, more than 30 miles away. The Greenock office cannot be visited in person, and to call it is prohibitively expensive. Queries about Widowed Parents’ Allowance are managed from Arbroath, while Crisis Loans are dealt with from Inverness, which can only be called free from a landline.

Margo also slates the lack of privacy and understanding, describing the humiliation of having to explain her circumstances over and over again to different people; being given a security escort within the Job Centre; and having to hold a highly sensitive discussion about an emergency loan within earshot of everyone in the office.

People who blame Margo for her situation because she doesn’t have a job are missing the point, she says.

“They think I should be out working, and that would solve all my problems. But if I got a supermarket job, I’d be working but I’d still be in the poverty trap. Most jobs you’re earning the minimum wage, and the tax credit business is such a nightmare… What’s the point if you’re as badly off as you are on benefits?”

Sticking to her guns and doing what she's good at

Aside from setting up “Blackhall for All”, Margo has raised awareness of violence against women and campaigned against poverty under the Communities Against Poverty umbrella. She also set up a group called the “Make Do and Menders”, which raises awareness of the Millennium Development Goals.

Her extensive experience of community development has led her to start studying for a degree in the subject at Glasgow University. Her fees are paid for by a grant, and she has received a student loan worth £4,500 a year. “I’m not going to survive on that!” she says, but she has also applied for hardship grants and funds for mature students, and is waiting to hear whether she has been successful.

It may be a hard-fought financial battle in the short term, but Margo believes obtaining a degree will prove to be her route out of poverty, finally enabling her to find a “quality” job. “I’m trying to stick to my guns and do what I’m good at,” she says.

The GenderWorks project is supported by the European Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (2007-2013). The information contained in it does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission.