I have just read the Women of the North report. A sobering read, even considering health inequalities were a large part of my work for a long time and a childhood living in poverty. Some of the things that stood out to me:
- Women in the north of England have the highest rates of domestic abuse in the country (by default so do their children)
- Girls born in the north can expect to live less of their lives in good health, compared to the rest of the country (4 years less)
- Women in the north provide significantly more unpaid care than women in the rest of the country
- 22% of women in the north have no qualifications, compared to 16% in the southeast
- 6.1% of employed women living in the Northeast are Managers, Directors, or Senior Officials, compared to 10.9% in London.
“We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”
Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
A system wide approach is needed to reduce inequalities for northern women. Poverty is the common denominator here. The odds are stacked against us. But if there is one thing I know about Northern women, it’s that we have grit and determination. Give us a glimpse of an opportunity and we’ll make the most of it.
That opportunity must start with education and access to activities out of school. Both need to be funded adequately and truly accessible, recognising those girls may need additional help to access opportunities than those not living in poverty. The thesis I wrote for my master’s in public health found the longer that girls were in education, the better health outcomes were for them – particularly around teenage pregnancy and unhealthy relationships. Are we worried about what girls are wearing or their hair colour in school when the real questions should be, are they safe? Have they had breakfast that morning? The availability of vocational educational programmes that celebrate different learning styles and preferences could help to keep girls in education longer, as well as wrap around, pastoral support. I understand schools are incredibly stretched dealing with the ‘day job,’ which is why we need that system wide approach to invest in girls now, preventing those inequalities in society later. We know that poverty can be cyclical so let’s break it now.
We must do more to tackle gender-based violence. It is extremely difficult to do well in education or hold down a job if you are experiencing abuse, yet I know many do, despite this. This also comes down to education and lifting boys out of poverty. If you are struggling to meet your basic needs, have not had a suitable male role model, experienced trauma, then been exposed to misogyny online from so called ‘influencers,’ the bar is set very low for you. Your resources for a healthy relationship are diminished. I have spent many years working in schools teaching relationships and sex education. It is great that this is now mandatory in UK schools, however I wonder what capacity already stretched school staff have to do this justice. I know many will do a wonderful job, however my time training people to deliver this content tells me many would rather do anything but teach this work. By its nature it is specialised and complex and needs people who are not only skilled in this area but who actually want to deliver the work, not because they have been told to do it.
I feel fortunate to have benefitted from a university education. I am the first and sadly still the only member of my family to do so. The barriers to higher education are more than tuition fees. Can we provide girls in the most deprived areas with mentors – someone to aspire to who is from a similar background and has managed to succeed. If we can’t see it, we can’t be it. Seeing a mentee grow and develop is one of the most rewarding elements of my work, girls experiencing poverty, need just that little bit more guidance to step into their power. I have made this suggestion to Mayor Brabin and her team at the Women of West Yorkshire Network.
It is a great shame that women of the north are more likely to be out of work, provide unpaid care and when they are in work, for it to be low paid. Poverty follows you around. It can impact on self-worth and your sense of belonging, even if and especially if you manage to secure ‘decent work.’ Many women I have coached doubt their belonging, their worth and ability to do their jobs, despite there being zero evidence to the contrary. As an accredited coach, I empower women to see their potential, develop their careers, set boundaries and overcome challenges. This short-term, powerful work can be transformational and makes coaching magic for me. It doesn’t eradicate poverty or take away trauma, but it can help people to set goals for the future, identify what might get in their way and steps they can take to overcome this, allowing them to excel.
Let’s give northern women the chance to shine, we’re too proud for a handout but a foot in the door would go a long way.
