Minority ethnic women's experiences in Scotland 2024: intersectional evidence review

7. Poverty

The previous chapter on Work gives us some indication of financial security and access to financial resources among minority ethnic women which impacts experiences of poverty. This chapter firstly focuses on general poverty statistics and then moves to examine two specific areas, COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, which are impacted by and impact experiences of poverty for minority ethnic women.

7.1. Inequality of Poverty

It is important to note that the most poverty statistics are measured at a household level – as such all members of a household would be shown to record the same experience of being in poverty. Similarly, the ethnicity of the main respondent would be assumed to apply to all household members. The main respondent is usually the adult with the highest income.

Data shows that minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poverty than white ethnic groups. According to Scottish Government poverty statistics, “Over the five year period 2018-23, people from non-white minority ethnic groups were more likely to be in relative poverty^[52] after housing costs compared to those from the ‘White - British’ and ‘White - Other’ groups.^[53] Within this, there is variation when comparing specific ethnic groups, for example relative poverty rates for those who identify as ‘Asian or Asian British’ (50%) or ‘Mixed, Black or Other’ (51%) were higher compared to ‘white British’ (18%). Additionally, the Scottish Government 2019 focus report on Child Poverty in Minority Ethnic Families, showed that minority ethnic (non-white) children are more likely to be living in poverty (after housing costs) than other (white) children in Scotland. Intersectional analysis was not possible for this publication^[54], however other statistics explored below provide insight into how minority ethnic women feel they manage financially at a household level.

Intersectional analysis of the 2022 SHS data conducted for this Evidence Review examined self-perceptions of financial wellbeing of households. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between minority ethnic women^[55] or white Scottish/British women and white Scottish/British men reporting that they were managing financially well^[56]. When comparing across sex and ethnic groups, the only statistically significant differences were found for households in which minority ethnic men are the highest income householders. They were the least likely group (when compared to minority ethnic women, white Scottish/British women, and white Scottish/British men) to say that they manage financially well (38% compared to 51%, 46% and 55% respectively). It is important to note that these statistics are based on survey respondents’ self-perception of their financial wellbeing and not on their actual income. However, these statistics indicate that minority ethnic women along with white Scottish/British women and men feel more positive about their ability to manage financially in comparison to minority ethnic men in households where they are the highest income earner.

7.2. Socio-economic issues and COVID-19

This sub-chapter will examine socio-economic issues and COVID-19. No quantitative data was found for the experiences of minority ethnic women in Scotland during COVID-19, however two qualitative research publications were identified that provided insights.

In 2020, researchers from Glasgow University published a report on the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on marginalised groups in Scotland and included opinions of stakeholder organisations supporting people during COVID-19. The report highlighted that the pandemic worsened economic hardships, loss of employment, and raised concerns about access to food according to a BAME women’s community development group. A domestic abuse group working with refugees and those seeking asylum reported that there were “concerns about the lack of representation from BME led organisations [in Scottish Government emergency planning]”; highlighting that this lack of tailored information caused issues for people finding the correct support “in the same way as the general population”. It is not clear to what extent this was highlighted as an intersectional issue. Further exploration of data and evidence in this area may support more tailored approaches to policy planning in the future.

Research from The Fawcett Society, Women’s Budget Group, Queen Mary University of London, and the London School of Economics found that minority ethnic women were most likely to report that they were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic while white men were least likely.^[57] Minority ethnic women reported that they were struggling to cope with different demands on their time (45.4%) and feed their children (23.7%). Over half of minority ethnic women (51.4%) who were disabled or retired, responded that they were not sure where to turn to for help due to the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 18.7% of white women. This research weighted their own survey results to match the current Labour Force Survey with various equality characteristics.

7.3. Cost of living

A deterioration of economic conditions alongside a high rate of inflation in Scotland and the UK since early 2022 is now commonly referred to as the ‘cost of living crisis’. Those living in low-income households with little or no savings have been impacted the most. This report found statistics exploring the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on minority ethnic groups generally, as well as qualitative research that highlights the experiences of minority ethnic women specifically.

The Tackling Child Poverty focus report on the cost of living highlighted that minority ethnic communities had higher rates of food insecurity in comparison to white communities and are more likely to be impacted by the rising costs of speciality or culturally appropriate foods. This information was not available intersectionally.

A survey from the Scottish Women’s Budget Group focusing on the experiences of women during the cost-of-living crisis and rising costs generally across Scotland, highlights particular barriers faced by women from minority ethnic communities.^[58] Minority ethnic women were more likely to struggle to manage childcare costs (60%) take on more debt (46%), struggle with food costs (42%), and in comparison to the figures for women across all ethnic groups responding to the survey (28%, 23%, and 37% respectively).^[59] Women from minority ethnic communities responding to this survey also reported struggling with energy costs (44%), although this figure is slightly lower than the figure for all survey respondents (46%). As outlined in relation to COVID-19, this evidence highlights a disproportionally negative impact on minority ethnic women and where support services may not be accessible or tailored to specific needs.

Summary of evidence:

• Scottish Government statistical publications on poverty and socio-economic issues highlighted individual ethnicity and individual sex and gender equality data which does give some indication of the experiences of minority ethnic women, however data was often limited in its ability to produce intersectional data due to data collection methods.
• Qualitative evidence referenced in this chapter provided specific insights on particular influences on poverty, such as COVID-19 and Cost-of-Living, which should be utilised especially as statistical data may not capture the full details.

Based on this chapter, what lessons can we learn about analysis and publication of intersectional evidence?

• Quantitative data collected does not always allow for clear intersectional analysis, particularly where collection methods are measured at a household level rather than individual respondents.
• Due to this, qualitative evidence is important to understand the specific experience of poverty for minority ethnic women, especially where statistical data may not be a wholly accurate representation.