YWCA

what we do

Money and debt

Most young people make financial mistakes; it is part of learning and growing up.

But women from disadvantaged communities often have no family safety net and are at risk of losing so much more.

Irresponsible lending

New mums need things for their baby and young women need food and clothes. Those on low incomes sometimes use credit to help them buy the things they need.

Young women are often targeted by irresponsible lenders and persuaded to take out high-interest loans. What seems like a small loan can quickly spiral in to unmanageable debt.

Women are more likely to put their names on the household bills and so face the debt collectors when the bills cannot be paid.

Low pay

Many girls and women who work are so badly paid they experience in-work poverty.

Nearly two-thirds of low-paid workers are women. In the UK there is a 12.6 per cent difference between what men and women earn. For more information visit our More than one rung campaign site.

Young people get a lower national minimum wage than adults but it does not cost any less to pay bills and buy food when you are young. The lower rate assumes that all young people have a family to support them. This is not the case for many of the girls we work with.

Working for change

YWCA works to challenge gender stereotypes and encourage young women to learn about money, debt, work and pay.

We bring money and debt advisors to women in a safe and supportive environment with childcare on-site. We run sessions on budgeting for healthy meals, making your own clothes and numeracy, and we teach young women money management to make sure they can cope with independent living in the real world.

To read more about how money and debt affects young women and what we are doing about it read our briefings and information sheets.