BUILDING A FEMINIST NATION: SCOTLAND IN THE ERA OF POLYCRISIS
AN ANTHOLOGY WRITTEN IN THE HOPE FOR CHANGE
The reality in Scotland
- 92% of lone parents are women who are more likely to be locked into poverty due to a lack of flexible working options, fairly paid jobs and affordable childcare.
- Over 80% of 16 to 64-year-olds who are ‘inactive’ due to their caring responsibilities are women (compared to just over 16% who are men).
- Over 80% of domestic abuse incidents had a female victim and a male perpetrator and more than one in six women have experienced online violence.
- Due to the pension gender gap, a girl would need to start saving for a pension at age three to retire with the same amount of money as a man (or work an additional 19 years).
- Childcare costs are the highest in Europe with one in four women forced to give up their job to provide care. Fewer than a third of working mothers with children under the age of four have the flexible working arrangements they need.
- Only 2% of medical research funding is spent on pregnancy, childbirth and reproductive health (despite one in three women reporting a reproductive or gynaecological health problem).
- Black women are almost four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than their white counterparts, while black babies are twice as likely to be stillborn.
Despite some positive legislative change in recent years, there is not a single facet of modern life in Scotland where systemic inequality does not harm women's lives.
Where this began
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Where this began
The co-editors Helen, Kim, and Talat have worked across a range of social justice issues but all with a core theme; tackling systemic inequality faced by women. They came together to discuss the increasingly difficult environments of their work, and an idea was born.
Our contributors
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Where this began
This anthology includes the lived and learned expertise of a diverse range of women across Scotland. From campaigners, to academics, to healthcare professionals.
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Get the book or read online
Our book is now available to buy directly from Scottish Universities Press
We want it to be accessible to everyone without any financial barriers, so we have made it free to read online.
Use this book to start discussions
To help spread the ambitions and solutions in this book, we have provided a list of discussion questions for your book group, workplace, or friend network.
Use this book to influence change
Use this book to influence change
We want this to be more than a book, we want it to be a way to deliver change and hold decision-makers to account.
Get in touch with the co-editors
Use this book to influence change
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