Empowering Women Carers Through Food Equality – Insights from our Pilot Project 

23rd February 2026

As part of International Women’s Day (March 7), Carers Support and Bristol Women’s Voice will be presenting learning from our Women Carer Food Project — a Carers Voice initiative developed in response to carers’ lived experiences of food poverty.

The project was funded by Feeding Bristol, bid for by Carers Support, and delivered in partnership with Bristol Women’s Voice. It arose directly from issues raised by Carers Representatives, who told us that food insecurity was becoming an increasing and often hidden challenge for women with caring responsibilities.

Understanding the Issue 

Across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, many women carers regularly put others’ needs before their own. Through our project, we heard how this can limit their choices around the food they eat, buy, and cook. Caring responsibilities, financial pressures, time constraints, and emotional load all play a role in shaping women’s day-to-day access to nutritious food. 

The pilot brought together women carers with lived experience to explore these challenges in depth. The first workshop asked a central question: 

“Why are women carers at risk of food inequality and insecurity?” 

Together, participants unpacked the social, economic, and cultural pressures that shape their lives and discovered that their experiences were far more common — and far more structural — than many had realised. 

Cooking, Confidence and Community 

The second workshop, delivered by Travelling Kitchen, focused on practical skills: preparing meals that are affordable, nutritious, and enjoyable. For many carers, this was a rare chance to cook for themselves, build confidence, and share food in a supportive space. 

The project then culminated in a final session addressing another crucial question: 

“What is to be done?” 

Women carers worked together to identify solutions and actions that could drive change at a local level — from strengthening access to healthier food, to advocating for fairer systems that better recognise the realities of caring. 

Bringing the Learning to IWD 2026 

These insights form the foundation of our workshop at Bristol Women’s Voice International Women’s Day: 

Empowering Women to Food Equality 

1:00 PM 

 Lady Members' Room, Bristol City Hall 

This interactive session will explore why women carers, particularly mothers and those with significant caring roles, often face fewer choices around food. Through discussion and shared experiences, we’ll highlight both personal and systemic barriers — and shine a spotlight on the solutions women carers themselves have proposed. 

The workshop is part of a full day of events created for International Women’s Day 2026, hosted by Bristol Women’s Voice at Bristol City Hall, 10 am–5 pm, Saturday 7 March. 

A Step Toward Change 

The Women Carer Food Project demonstrated how powerful it can be when women come together to share stories, build community, and shape solutions. We are excited to bring this learning into the wider conversation at IWD — and to continue working alongside women carers to push for food equality, dignity, and choice.