As public sector cuts take effect, the gendered impact of the coalition’s deficit reduction strategy will become clear: as workers, as benefit claimants and as service users, women will be hit the hardest.

April 2011 will see the implementation of many areas of the government’s deficit reduction strategy. Sarah Veale argues that these changes will disproportionately disadvantage women and families, and explores three ways in which women in both the public and private sectors will be hit by the public sector cuts as workers, as benefits claimants and as service users.