The inaugural YWCA Canberra’s 2021 Our Lives: Women in the ACT survey has allowed 1,200 women and non-binary Canberrans to share their harrowing experiences of insecure housing, tenuous economic security, and looming stress and burnout.

Questions about housing, financial security, employment, safety, and mental health were asked in the survey run by the leading feminist not-for-profit, and responses were received from every postcode within the ACT.

Within the survey findings, there were many heart-wrenching accounts of women struggling throughout this tough year. Here are just a few:

Housing impact

“Homeless and jobless for 15 months. I stayed with friends, unable to find work and hence unable to sign a lease.”

“Forced to move due to rent increase and forced to accept a poorly maintained property due to the tight housing market.”

“I was living in my own mortgaged home with my husband. DV escalated during Covid, and I had to leave my house and am currently in a rental property until I can get a property settlement when I hope to be able to buy a home.”

“I was homeless for 15 months, staying with friends and housesitting because I couldn’t land a job, despite 18+ interviews.”

“Harder to find rental, was looking for five months and got knocked back from multiple properties. Cost of rent per week increased dramatically.”

Impact of Covid-19

“I had to support my adult kids stranded overseas on my disability pension. Any savings are gone and I’ve sold all my valuables. I cancelled my private health cover and insurance. Now I can’t buy the specs I need for my cataracts and I can’t afford dental treatment. I’m busting my guts. It’s harming my health, but I give thanks that I have a roof over my head. Without it I’d be homeless and my perpetrator of domestic violence will have won.”

“I hope to be able to have enough money to pay my rent and living expenses comfortably and be able to go grocery shopping for things that I would like to buy instead of just things that I absolutely need without having to use a calculator.”

Young people’s hopes for the future

“To have at least the chance of buying a house in Canberra.”

“A safe and stable home and job that I love.”

“Action on climate change so we won’t experience the same catastrophic weather events as the past few years.”

YWCA CEO Frances Crimmins said the survey data reflected what many in the sector have known for a long time.

Access to a modest income, the welfare safety net, and a sufficient amount of personal savings are generally common buffers to lift those affected by housing stress and income insecurity, but they’re no longer able to keep pace.

A greater number of Canberrans are now affected by these issues, and Covid-19 has exacerbated the situation from 2019 for many women, making their situations chronically dire.

“In 2019, our lives showed us that women were already struggling to manage living costs and unpaid labour as carers and parents. Fast forward to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the situation for many is now dire,” Ms Crimmins said.

“Many reported being on the brink of housing stress, with 26 per cent of renters saying they don’t have sufficient personal savings to manage one payment cycle if they should suddenly lose their income. Given we started gathering responses prior to the August lockdown, we can only imagine the stress many faced during the uncertainty and employment losses that were seen during that time.”

Ms Crimmins said it becomes harder for women and non-binary people to combat inequality once additional impacting factors are applied.

“For example, 61 per cent of women who are single parents and who are renting don’t have enough personal savings to manage a single payment cycle with a loss of income,” she said.

Ms Crimmins said within the respondents there were further intersections of inequality for women over the age of 45, First Nations women, sexually or gender diverse women, and those with a disability.

“For young women, we saw alarming rates of sexual harassment. This year, 48 per cent of respondents aged 20-24 told us they had been targeted by sexual harassment in the previous 12 months. For respondents aged 16-19, the proportion was 42 per cent,” she said.

“With the national spotlight on sexual harassment in workplaces, our findings just further reinforce the need for urgent action to address this form of gender-based violence.

“Our Lives shows us how crucial it is to have gender-responsive policy development and an adequate safety net that supports people achieve a level of dignity as they get back on their feet and to ensure these intersecting factors are considered and applied to measures aimed at addressing inequality.”

Read the full findings of the survey at ywca-canberra.org.au

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