Women, Care and Community: Dahlia’s Fight for a Valued Caring Economy

1st March 2026

Last Women’s History Month, we sat down with Dahlia from Bristol Women’s Voice, an organisation working to make women’s equality a reality in Bristol through campaigning, connection and celebration. Over nearly two hours, we explored the pressures facing carers, especially women, and the troubling gaps in the systems meant to support them. 

Last year, we shared Dahlia’s personal caring story. This year, we return to spotlight her work with Bristol Women’s Voice, the realities women carers face across the city, and why she still believes meaningful change is possible. 

The Origins of the Value of the Caring Economy Campaign 

In her role at Bristol Women’s Voice, Dahlia has worked closely with women across the city, witnessing first-hand the emotional, social and economic strain of juggling caregiving responsibilities. 

“I came into this work as we were moving out of COVID, and communities were immediately hit by the cost-of-living crisis,” she explains. “We had plans to mobilise and drive change. But what became clear very quickly was how exhausted many women were. Utterly exhausted. Campaigning felt out of reach.” 

Those experiences laid the foundation for the Value the Caring Economy campaign, spearheaded by Bristol Women’s Voice and in partnership with Carers Support, Bristol Black Carers, Bristol Women in Business Charter, Chinese Community Wellbeing Society, Co-Produce Care, WECIL, West of England Women’s Commission, and Women’s Budget Group. 

“In 2023, we met with 70 representatives to ask what is holding women back,” Dahlia says. “Again and again, caring responsibilities came up, lack of childcare, barriers to returning to education or work, and financial pressures that remove real choice. Many women feel they no longer have options.” 

For many, caregiving is not a choice but a necessity, often at the cost of financial security, opportunity and long-term health. 

The Hidden Crisis: Poverty, Housing and Mental Health 

Dahlia has seen the impact of poverty, insecure housing and overstretched services across Bristol. 
“There’s a huge number of people in this city who aren’t living well,” she says. “Bristol has a reputation as a vibrant, creative city. But if you look at the map, you see pockets of affluence surrounded by large areas where families are struggling.” 

Accessing mental health support for children is a particular concern. Long waiting lists and limited provision mean families often reach crisis point before receiving help. 

“I see knife crime and violence rising on our streets,” Dahlia reflects. “People say parents are responsible and that is of course true but I see mothers, and families, who are barely surviving themselves. Many are doing everything they can and they are working against environments and rough boy cultures in neighbourhoods, schools, and of course increasingly social media influences.” 

Food Inequality 

Food insecurity is another urgent issue for low-income carers. Rising prices mean that many families — even those not in the very lowest income brackets — struggle to afford nutritious food. 
“When families can’t afford fresh, healthy food, they rely on cheaper, ultra-processed options,” Dahlia says. “That has consequences for physical health, mental health, and ultimately for the NHS.” 

In response, Bristol Women’s Voice and Carers Support hosted food security sessions in partnership with Feeding Bristol. These meetings provided space for women carers to share experiences, take part in healthy cooking sessions and receive food vouchers.  

You can read about the findings from this work in our report, and we’ll be taking these insights into an interactive discussion at Bristol Women’s Voice’s International Women’s Day event on 7 March. We’ll be creating space for women carers to talk about food equality, share experiences, and explore ideas together. Find out more about this event here 

Housing and the Reality of Struggling Families 

Bristol’s housing crisis continues to compound inequality. Dahlia recounts working with a large family living in overcrowded accommodation who, after a flood, were temporarily rehoused in a hotel without cooking facilities.

“How do you feed a family without a kitchen?” she asks. “How do children thrive at school when they are living in such instability?”

For Dahlia, these stories point to systemic failure. “Families are living in unacceptable conditions. Without accountability and long-term strategy, the situation will continue to deteriorate.” 

Investing in Care: The Economic Case 

Dahlia is clear that care must be recognised as both a moral and economic priority. 
  
“Imagine if we were living in a society that values care.” She says: “There’s a moral argument for supporting carers but there is also a compelling strategic and economic case. Investment in care is not a soft option, it is foundational infrastructure. When we invest in people, in mothers, families, children and communities, we prevent crises before they escalate and reduce long-term public spending. Yet too often, policy prioritises short-term fixes over long-term resilience.” 

She argues that strategic investment in housing, women’s health, family services, food equality and safe, accessible green spaces must become a central priority rather than an afterthought. "Care is not peripheral to economic strength, it underpins it. Communities flourish when mothers are supported, when children are mentally and physically well, and when neighbourhoods have the resources and environments they need to thrive." 

“What we need,” she says, “is moral imagination alongside practical action, the ability to envision a society that truly values care, and the courage to invest accordingly.” 

"Without bold, solution-focused leadership and sustained investment in care and community infrastructure, the long-term financial and social costs will only deepen. It is the time to be courageous."

The Importance of Hope and Community 

Despite the scale of the challenges, Dahlia remains committed to hope. 

“Through my work, I try to meet women where they are but not leave them there. The Caring Economy campaign is about saying: ‘We see you, we hear you, and we are fighting for change.’” 

Her own experience of caring for her children shaped her understanding of what it means to be a carer. “I didn’t initially recognise myself as one. I thought I was simply doing what mothers do. But I came to understand that caregiving, in all its forms, deserves recognition and support.” 

“The women I meet are extraordinary,” she adds. “They are resilient beyond measure. Witnessing that fuels my determination, they deserve respect, proper support and better lives.” 

Looking Ahead 

Progress has been gradual. Conversations with Bristol City Council about integrating the Caring Economy into strategic planning offer some cause for optimism. Greater acceptance of flexible working since the pandemic is another step forward.

“The changes aren’t enough yet,” Dahlia says. “But I choose hope. Without it, I couldn’t continue. The women I meet deserve better and I will keep fighting for them.” 

We are deeply inspired by the work Dahlia and the Bristol Women’s Voice team carry out every day. While the realities facing carers can feel overwhelming, her message of grounded optimism reminds us that change is possible and already beginning. 

Read more about the Value the Caring Economy campaign

See the full programme for Bristol Women's Voice's International Women's Day event on March 7th