07/03/2012

Pause For Thought: Dr Sarah Goldingay

We are living in tough economic times. And we know that some sectors of our society will be hit harder than others. One of those groups is women. A report released in November 2011 by the Fawcett Society, in collaboration with a number of other charities, showed that cuts in the UK are pushing women out of the workforce.

This, in turn, reduces their income and has a knock on to other parts of society, for example an increase in child poverty. These economic challenges are also having other worrying impacts; they’re limiting women’s access to justice and protection from violence. And because many women are also the principal carer for another; a partner, parent or child, these changes also have a wider impact on us all.

But the difficult relationship between womanhood, money and being a carer is not simply a British question. In her latest exhibition, Tin Girls, documentary photographer Alice Carfrae shows images from North-Eastern Napal. This is a region that is particularly affected by human trafficking. In particular the trafficking of women.

In Sindhupalchok it is said you can tell which household has sold a daughter or lost a mother by looking at the rooftops of the village. The ones with corrugated tin roofs - as opposed to the traditional timber and slate - indicate that a sacrifice has been made; a selfless act to try and better the family’s situation. The unaffectionate nickname given to these women, who give their lives, is ‘Tin Girls’.

The responsibilities of womanhood often involve both caring and personal sacrifice, it is important to remember however that, particularly in these challenging times, these burdens are not women’s alone, but responsibilities that we all need to share.