Female contractors will be interested to hear that women working in the public sector are being disproportionately affected by the economic crisis.

This is according to Vivienne Hayes, chief executive of the Women's Resource Centre.

She said that this situation has arisen due to the close relationship between this area of employment and women.

"Women are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis. Not only do women make up the majority of public sector workers, they are also more reliant on such public services and will be the ones expected to 'take up the slack' in terms of caring and other such roles when these services are reduced or closed," she added.

According to Ms Hayes, females who are employed in low-paid part-time jobs could find the situation a particular struggle.

In addition, the Trades Union Congress recently said that female unemployment could experience a "crisis" as a result of the government's economic policy.