Oxfam and the European Women’s Lobby have commissioned a research paper assessing the impact of the recession on the financial security of women across Europe. Focusing on 10 of the European Union’s member states, the findings assert that “the structural causes of poverty have a disproportionate impact on women” and stress the importance of a fundamental change in the methods behind economic research data, in terms of its assessment of women, and its implementation.
The report hinges on the fact that women are extremely vulnerable to the economic consequences of a recession. With just under 17 per cent of women in the EU’s 27 countries classed as living in poverty, this section of European society will suffer at the hands of inflated national debt and the public sector cuts that will be implemented as a result.
The majority of those working in the public sector across Europe are women, as are those largely in receipt of public services. Mothers are extremely vulnerable to fluctuations in the labour market, as maternity leave and child benefits are likely to be reduced. Indeed, as businesses attempt to reduce the economic burden, countries across the EU are expected to see a rise in the dismissal of pregnant women from the workplace.
The recession has produced a disastrous effect on migrant and ethnic minority women, with an increased threat of job insecurity in low-paid sectors. This threat filters down into households, as added financial pressure often manifests as a catalyst for domestic violence.
The EWL is calling for all EU governments and public bodies to establish “gender impact assessments of the recession”, in order to adequately investigate the extent of female poverty and devise specific measures for tackling the problem. The report recommends that extensive research be undertaken into the impact of the recession at local and household levels, which at present has been scarcely approached, with suitable transparency enabling results to enter the public domain.
The research also emphasises the importance of implementing “gender-budgeting”, granting women’s NGOs adequate support to play a crucial role in enabling gender-based economic discussions, at both national and international levels.
Immigration authorities should develop policies that ensure the eradication of barriers to migrant women’s full labour market participation and “gender-sensitive universal social protection standards” should be established. Vitally, female participation should become imbedded in decision-making processes and the monitoring of stimulus packages aimed at economic recovery.
