On 12th May 2008 leading women's rights organisation the Fawcett Society launches a new campaign, Keeping Mum, exposing the links between women's poverty and child poverty. The campaign is being run in partnership with Unite the Union and Oxfam.

Fawcett has obtained previously unpublished statistics which reveal the extent to which child poverty is caused by the gender income gap and the lack of opportunities for mothers in the labour market.

The figures show that:

Four out of ten (39%) of children in poverty are in single mother households
A further three out of ten (29%) are in households where the father works full-time, but the mother is on low income or no income
In addition, the statistics show that lone mothers are at double the risk of being in poverty as couples with children ie Lone mothers are at a 50% risk of having an income which is 60% below median after housing costs, whereas couples with children are only at a 23% risk of falling into this income band

From the moment they conceive a child, women face immediate financial penalties:

Mothers are at greater risk of poverty in the UK than in any other western European country (Youth Poverty in Europe JRF).
30,000 women every year lose their jobs as a result of becoming pregnant (Greater expectations: EOC's investigation into pregnancy discrimination)
After having a child, many more women move into low-paid and insecure work as cleaners, carers, temps and homeworkers, which does not keep them above the poverty line.

The Fawcett Society is calling on the government to tackle mother's poverty by:

Banning the dismissal of pregnant women.
Increasing maternity and paternity entitlements to the same level as the minimum wage.
Making gender pay audits compulsory for all organisations.
Increasing the number of hours mothers can work without losing their benefits from four to sixteen.
Introducing measures to encourage fathers to be more involved in children's upbringing.

% of households 60% below median income AHC by family type**

42% Lone parent of which
2% in full-time work of which: 0% male; 2% female
7% in part-time work of which: 0% male; 7% female
33% not working of which: 2% male; 30% female
58% Couple with children of which: 3% both in full-time work; 10% one in full-time work, one in part-time work of which; 10% male full time, female part time; 0% female full time, male part time
21% one in full-time work, one not working of which: 19% male full time, female not working; 2% female full time, male not working
8% one or more in part-time work of which: 1% male part time, female part time; 4% male part time, female not working; 3% female part time, male not working
15% both not in work

** Composition of low-income groups of children by various family and household characteristics, United Kingdom
Source: Family Resources Survey 2005/2006
Data obtained by request to the Department for Work and Pensions

… Return to the top of this page
… Retun to Index of Notices and Press Releases
… Return to home page