single mothers

A survey conducted more than three years ago by the Ypatia Equality Foundation for the Justice Ministry in Cyprus, titled ‘The Financial Repercussions of Divorce’, revealed significant financial difficulties faced by single mothers in Cyprus. Key findings from the survey include:

– Approximately 70% of single parents, predominantly women, are struggling to manage additional bills, raise children, generate income, and service debt inherited from their former spouses.
– Over 50% of single parents live at or below the poverty line, facing social exclusion.
– One in three single parents lost their employment following divorce.
– Despite the survey’s findings being submitted to the United Nations, it has not been utilized by authorities to improve the situation.
– Only 60% of divorced women are employed full-time, with more than 30% of single parents being unemployed.
– Family and friends provide more support to divorced women than social protection services.
– One in two divorcees live under the poverty line, with an annual income of around 10,000 euros.
– Nearly 60% of divorced women encounter daily practical issues at work, negatively affecting their careers, with many forced to leave their jobs due to the inability to balance work and childcare.
– More than half of male divorcees face housing issues, losing the family home, while nearly 70% of single mothers struggle with house mortgage payments.
– Eight out of ten single mothers limit their social lives to essential activities related to their children.
– 50% of divorcees, both male and female, believe that courts should consider the reasons for debt accumulation during the division of debt between former spouses, highlighting the issue of single mothers inheriting significant loans.