My Experience Working with Women in Travelling Communities

I work with diverse women who live travelling lifestyles. While this way of life often conveys strength and independence, people frequently overlook the vulnerability and mental health impacts that accompany it.

This is influenced by a range of factors, including limited and stereotyped media representation, underrepresentation in mainstream services, and the quieter public voice these women often hold when sharing their own narratives.

Many people are unaware that women in travelling communities run independent businesses, promote creative traditional arts and crafts, and work in trades that are often stereotyped as male‑dominated.

Despite these strengths, I frequently hear from women with ongoing mental health support needs whose access to services is limited or non‑existent. This is also true for those living nomadic lifestyles while raising young children. Postnatal depression can be intensified by the isolation felt on the waterways and the lack of nearby support networks.

Restricted access to basic healthcare also affects women’s dignity and their willingness to reach out for help. Dental care for boating communities is one example of a service gap that has real consequences for women’s wellbeing.

There is also a significant lack of local networks for women affected by harmful treatment from males within their communities, and very few safe spaces for women to openly discuss mental health.

A service user has recently felt empowered to set up a space for women on the waterways. This has been inspiring for me to witness and a privilege to support.

Within GRT communities, women often report a lack of solidarity and allyship in commercial environments, compounded by their ethnicity and experiences of racism when accessing everyday services, such as hair salons.

Enabling the women I work alongside to feel more empowered feels essential. I see, every day, how much strength they carry quietly and how rarely that strength is recognised.

Creating space for their voices—especially for those who are marginalised not only by wider society but sometimes within their own communities—feels vital. Their stories, their resilience, and their struggles shape the wellbeing of all of us. Supporting women to be heard feels like a necessary step toward true solidarity and collective healing.