BME women hardest hit by austerity measures

General union Unite says that a human rights and equality impact assessment of public spending cuts on black and minority ethnic (BME) women in Coventry reflects the situation across the country.

The report, Layers of inequality, shows that BME women have suffered disproportionately from the government’s austerity measures. Cuts to welfare benefits will cost all women in Coventry £76 million a year out of a total of £112 million, with BME women among those hardest hit.

The report says that taken together, “the combined impact of job losses and cuts to spending on welfare benefits, education, health, social care, legal aid and voluntary services will exacerbate existing inequalities” between BME women and other groups and “pose a serious risk” to some BME women’s human rights.

Speaking at the launch of the Warwick University report last month, Unite national officer for equalities Collette Cork-Hurst said the report showed that black, Asian and ethnic minority women “are being disproportionately impacted by the cuts”, especially through public sector job losses.

She added that while the report focuses on Coventry, “we believe that this would be the case in many areas across the country”. Cork-Hurst said Unite was calling on the government to monitor what is happening to black, Asian and ethnic minority women as a result of its cuts agenda and to take urgent action to stop escalating inequalities.”

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/chrp/projects/humanrightsimpactassessments/women/layers_of_inequality.pdf