They are economically disadvantaged in old age for various reasons, including the impact that their caring responsibilities made on their working lives. Women-headed households are likely to live in a lower standard of housing. Women are less likely to own or have access to private cars, and they are more dependent on public transport. More women are in paid work, but women still bear a disproportionate share of caring and domestic responsibilities. Violence against women is a serious social problem, especially domestic abuse.
Fear of crime prevents many women from actively taking part in social and civic life.
People in ethnic minority communities are more likely to earn lower wages on average, and to experience poverty, higher unemployment, and poorer housing conditions than the majority population. There are differences between ethnic minority groups, and some groups have higher levels of educational achievement than the majority population. But this achievement is not reflected in professional success, where ethnic minority people remain under-represented in senior positions. Racial discrimination and harassment are all too common an experience for ethnic minority people in Scotland today, ranging from verbal abuse to acts of extreme violence. Institutional racism has affected the response of public services, policing and the administration of justice to the needs and aspirations of ethnic minority communities.