Citizens Advice Data Insights: Everyday Inequality - Gender

The cost-of-living crisis has hit poorest households the hardest; within this, certain groups are more likely to be adversely affected due to structural inequalities. Our Everyday Inequality series will highlight how these inequalities show up in our data and examine the policy decisions that could help to level the playing field.

This month's Data Insights event will explore gender inequalities; before we add the complexities of the cost-of-living crisis, women are already more likely to be in unpaid work than men, have fewer savings to fall back on and are more likely to be in debt. Women usually take on the majority of unpaid labour, including caring responsibilities, which may affect their ability to work more hours in order to absorb increased costs. In our March Data Insights event, we'll dig into why these differences in our data exist. What policies, social, and cultural factors have led to these disparities? And most importantly, how can we move towards a future that's fairer for everyone?

We will explore the barriers women and single parents face when accessing work, particularly ongoing issue of both affordability and access to childcare and how many lone parents are being pushed into a negative budget, despite working full time.

Speakers

• Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice

Clare was appointed Chief Executive of Citizens Advice in April 2021. She leads the national charity and network of local Citizens Advice charities across England & Wales. Through 1:1 advice, online support and advocacy, Citizens Advice gives individuals the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward and speaks up on their behalf to bring about wider change.

Clare was previously a civil servant for nearly 35 years, latterly as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2019, and of the Department for Exiting the EU until its closure in January 2020. Her early career was spent mainly in the Department of Health and the NHS, with senior roles in the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Transport.

After leaving the Civil Service, Clare chaired the Health Foundation’s Covid-19 impact inquiry and worked with organisations including Transport for London and the Bank of England. She is a trustee of the History of Parliament Trust and chairs the South Downs Partnership. Clare was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2020 Birthday Honours.

• Tom MacInnes, Chief Data Analyst, Citizens Advice