Aberdeen Gender Inequality and Poverty Project

In Aberdeen women are more likely to be living in poverty and can find it harder to escape poverty. 

• Women in Aberdeen are more likely to have lower earnings than men and earnings which are below the Scottish average for women. In 2020, average earnings for women in Aberdeen were £562.50 per week compared to £621.30 per week for men. The Scottish average for women was £ 592.20 per week.
• Women in Aberdeen are more likely to be economically inactive than men, 22.3% compared to 15.3%, often because of caring responsibilities. 
• Women in Aberdeen are more likely to have a long-term health condition, 28% compared to 19% of men. While women live longer, they spend more of their life experiencing ill health. 
• Women make up over 90% of single parents and unpaid carers. Their poverty is linked with the levels of child poverty in the city.

The Covid pandemic and cost-of-living crisis has worsened women’s experiences of poverty. As a result of this, Aberdeen City Council’s Anti-poverty and Inequality Committee have commissioned SWBG to undertake a project to work with communities to understand the links between gender inequality and poverty.  As part of this work, we will identify actions the council can take to combat inequality and address poverty in the city. 

Steering Group

We are currently recruiting women to join our steering group to help guide the work we do.  More information on the steering group can be found here. If you are interested in joining the group or finding out more about it, please contact Heather on training@swbg.org.uk or call us on 0141 648 7673.