Exploring the barriers to work facing unemployed women

Engaging with participants on Renaisi’s employment programmes, our research team researched and identified ways support for unemployed women can be strengthened.

Women who are long-term unemployed often face multiple forms of disadvantage. These present barriers to their ability to find sustainable and rewarding employment.

We sought to explore barriers faced by women who are long-term unemployed who access our economic inclusion services in East London. By generating an in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities for a small sample of women, we hoped to provide insights to support service providers to improve support for women jobseekers.

Research methods

We conducted life history qualitative interviews with eight women who were accessing Renaisi’s employment advice and training services. All had been unemployed for at least two years. We also conducted interviews four members of our employment team, to understand challenges and opportunities from their perspectives.

What did we learn?

Our research revealed a number of ways in which support for women can be strengthened, including better training for service provider staff and partnerships between a range of organisations.

We are incorporating these insights into our own employment services and are sharing the insights with other providers.