"It's the pressure to be everything to everyone."

This is how the experience of being a woman in 2022 was described by Lynn Huck, an advocate for women who runs Ulverston Women's Social Support Group, which meets every Tuesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Ulverston Library.

The group is for women who would like to make lasting and supportive relationships in a safe, non-judgmental, confidential and supportive place.

She said: "Being a woman is to bring in an important and equal share of the household income in a society where the cost of living is ridiculously high in comparison to the living wage, to still be a good mum and care for children, extended family and keep a home and also somehow find time for yourself as well and try to look good and feel good about yourself.

Ms Huck explained the group believed in sharing their hobbies, talents, knowledge, skills and also journeys and not being frightened to talk about failures and successes.

However, she believes the burden is not all on women.

She said: "More men need to become 'modern men' and share the load. As our society becomes more balanced and accepting of women having equal rights to the same career opportunities and financial responsibilities as men, there needs to be a similar equality in respect to the household duties.

"More men need to take their share of the home making tasks and then we will truly have a more equitable society."

She believes women face an especially hard time in Cumbria, which can find it more difficult to acquire the types of funding found in cities and densely populated areas.

She finished: "In our little cul de sac at the end of the long road into the Furness Penninsula we have almost become the land that time forgot. Our health and social care services are stretched to breaking point and our statutory services to support those with mental health challenges or those with physical or learning disabilities are under funded and run by heroes working long hours, who are consequently overworked and underpaid.

"We are learning to accept that these kinds of services are woefully inadequate here in our small local corner of the country, compared to these services seen in cities and in the more densely populated areas nationwide and so this makes charities like ours and so many others in our region, so vitally important to the ongoing wellbeing of the community."