The festive season should be one of the best times of the year. Whatever people's faith or religious beliefs – as well as those who have none – it is a chance to spend time with family and friends and to think about the things that really matter in life.

But I know many of my constituents are really worried about how they're going to cope this Christmas.

Parents and pensioners have got to find enough money for presents and food, on top of their fuel, gas and electricity bills.

When many people are worried about getting or keeping their job, or managing on their pension, the pressure and stress of paying for extras over Christmas is a real concern.

And things don't look they are going to get better anytime soon.

Our economy is flat-lining, with growth lower than predicted this year and next.

Unemployment is also increasing and set to rise year on year until 2015.

I'm particularly worried about the impact this is having on women. Women's unemployment is at its highest for 23 years.

Women are also being hit disproportionately hard by cuts in public services, tax credits and other benefits.

I recently conducted a survey of women in two parts of my constituency, North Braunstone and New Parks, to find out how they are managing in these tough economic times.

I followed the survey up with community meetings to discuss the issues and problems women are facing.

Three-quarters of the women who responded to my survey said they are having to spend less on essentials such as food and fuel.

Two-thirds of those with children said they are finding it harder to make suitable childcare arrangements, making them question whether working is a viable option.

They are also concerned about freezes in child benefit and cuts to the childcare tax credit. Some 2,300 families in Leicester have already lost almost £500 this year because help with the costs of childcare is being reduced.

Older women are feeling the pressure, too. Many of the women who responded to my survey care for their husbands or other family members, or are sick or disabled themselves. Half said they are worried about cuts to local NHS and council services.

On top of this, there is a lot of confusion about pensions and changes to the pension age.

Very few of the older women who answered my survey feel prepared for the rise in the age at which they can claim their pension, and almost all wanted more information about how this would affect them personally.

Research by the House of Commons library shows when all the changes the Government is making are taken together, three times as much money is being taken from women as from men.

I will be using the findings from my survey and local community meetings to campaign for a fairer deal for women of all ages, both here in Leicester and nationally in Westminster.