09 Mar 2021Research carried out by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) has found that female freelancers have faced a 'disproportionate financial struggle' during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. IPSE said that one of the key issues facing female freelancers is late payment. 49% of freelancers reported that they experienced being paid late before the pandemic, and 40% have been paid late since the pandemic. 22% of freelancers have not had enough money to cover basic living costs, and 23% have had no money to cover work-related expenses. 'The pandemic has brought disproportionate financial struggles on many self-employed women,' said Chloe Jepps, Head of Research at IPSE. 'It is clear that although more women have clung on in self-employment, of those freelancers who remain, the financial strain of the pandemic is hitting women harder, both practically and in terms of mental health. This is an area that both government and industry should look at – to ensure all self-employed people regardless of gender can enjoy the freedom of freelancing and play their vital part in economic recovery.'