Custom essays on Difficulties African Carribean Lone Parent Face in Employement in the U.K.

Studies on child poverty in Britain have often stumbled upon the connection of this issue to the problem of lone parenthood. Karen Rowlingson has observed that (2001, pp.170) children in “lone parent families or in families on means-tested benefits, such as income support, are very likely to suffer poverty…” Majority of African and Afro-Carribbean lone parents migrated to the and often they lack the skills for better employment and also cannot afford the cost of childcare facilities, in case they have to work outside leaving their children behind. The study conducted by Millar &Rowlingson (2001, pp.181) has with clarity observed, “only one in ten Afro-Carribbean women with degree-level qualifications had become single lone mothers compared with almost half who had no qualifications” (p.181).

Millar and Rowlingson (2001, pp.5) also have drawn attention to the fact that British laws do not give many benefits to unemployed lone parents. This becomes evident from their findings that US and UK have the highest rate of poverty among lone parents (Millar& Rowlingson, 2001, pp.5). According toMillar and Rowlingson (2001, pp.11-12), British welfare-to-work policy provides support in four forms to lone parents, which are “wage supplementation through working Families’ Tax Credit, National Minimum Wage…, active case management, child support payments and a national child care strategy including cash additions to wage supplements.” A lone parent is often not in a position to seek employment far away from home as he/she has to take care of the child/children. Walker and Wiseman (2003, p.130) have listed the constraints faced by lone parents as “barriers arising from personal attributes (health, work experience and skills) and from location (the lack of suitable jobs in the vicinity, transport)”.and also financial risks andconsequences of working” and “difficulties of finding and managing childcare.”

Nine in ten lone parents in UK are women (Walker&Wiseman, 2003, pp.117). This fact demands a gender analysis of the lone parent crises. Coming back to Millar and Rowlingson (2001, pp.6) again, it is crucial to note that they have pointed out; the gendered division of labour inside the family has always affected the policy decisions in many countries. So, in UK, a shift of policy towards making it compulsory for lone parents to work in order to get lone parent benefits has adversely affected Afro-Caribbean lone parent women.

The lack of affordable and convenient transportation facilities” along with “low labour demand in particular geographical areas are the two reasons cited by researchers for the terrible employment situation of Afro-Caribbean lone parents.

Scholars (Scott et. al, 2004, pp.275) have said that the special situation faced by Afro-Caribbean lone mothers can be attributed to an extent to the traditions of Afro-Caribbean community. Studies (Scott et. al, 2004, pp.275) have shown that the Afro-Caribbean family pattern is very special and comprising of varied household structures. Even households with two or three generations of women and absent men are very common. (Scott et al, 2004, p.275) So obviously, the mother will be the major bread winner. Millar and Rowlingson (2001, pp.182) have also dealt with this aspect of African and Afro-Caribbean lone parenthood by observing that “visiting relationships between fathers and families and strong matriarchal lineages are considered to be one among many causes of high rate of single lone parenthood among Afro-Carribbean women.”

Another aspect of Afro-Caribbean lone parenthood in relation with employment opportunities is that this category is least expected to get family support in child rearing. A study conducted by Chamba et. al (1999) has shown that “Black African/Caribbean and Indian families were most vulnerable to low levels of support from the extended family.” The study (Chamba et al, 1999) has cited the reason as arising out of no family member living nearby. This particular study (Chamba et al, 1999) has also found out that “half of the Bangladeshi and Black African/Caribbean parents said they did not have family living nearby.”

Millar and Rowlington (2001, pp.182) have further argued, “There is a link between the ethnic background of lone parents and their employment rates.” Walker and Wiseman (2003, pp.117) have traced the percentage of employed Afro-Caribbean lone mothers from 1970s to 1990s and showed that there is a decline from 47% in mid-1970s to 42% in 1990s. A lower employment rate inevitably means more poverty.

Even if employed, often black women are considered as cheap labour as there is the prevalent discriminatory notion that they are, “docile, tolerant and satisfied with sub-standard wages” (Alexander & Mohanthy, 1997, pp.19). It is in view of all these barriers that the problems and difficulties of African and Afro-Caribbean lone parent demands scrutiny.