Hope in the face of austerity: women and work in Ystradgynlais

The impact of the recession and welfare reform on women hit the headlines all too often. Rising child care costs; the growth of part-time employment and zero hour contracts; cuts to benefit payments and the impact of welfare reforms – the numbers tell a story, but only part of it.

Joyce Watson AM commissioned the Bevan Foundation to find out how women in the Ystradgynlais area have been and continue to be affected by recent social and economic trends and political decisions.

It paints a compelling picture of women ‘getting by’ in a post-industrial community – of women unable to heat their homes adequately, of women skipping meals to save money, and of a waste of talent because there are not enough jobs let alone jobs with decent pay and conditions.

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