In summer 2019 Bristol Women’s Voice launched the City Listening Project supported by the Government Equalities Office (GEO) to ensure the voices of women, particularly those that frequently go unheard, contribute to better policy-making. The GEO was particularly keen to hear from women facing multiple barriers including those in low paid employment, BAME women and disabled women.
You can find a copy of the City Listening Project full report here and a copy of the two page summary here and a summary of the recommendations here.
Our research focused on areas with higher levels of inequality and deprivation in the city. Many of the women who participated were in poverty, either reliant on social security or experiencing in-work poverty. Together we wanted to better understand:
- What stands in the way of women achieving their aspirations?
- What steps they might take in reaching their aspirations?
- What is working, or has previously worked well for them ?
This report comes at a critical time. The Covid-19 pandemic has deepened inequalities that were already restricting many women’s ability to participated in everyday life. The report tells the stories of women who face multiple and intersecting disadvantage, but it also shares solutions based on their lived experiences.
Headline findings:
- Strategic action is needed to improve housing provisions for women of Bristol
- More must be done to improve women’s Health and Wellbeing in Bristol
- Action must be taken to improve women’s safety in the city.
- A lack of suitable support with childcare and caring responsibilities is significantly affecting women
- Volunteering is positively impacting the lives of many women in Bristol
