I haven't worked via temp agencies for many years, but sometimes they help keep the wolf from the door. Try them. Not just for office work.

Local driving deliveries jobs are good for women: in the UK they hire women for this rather than men because men have worse crash records. You often need to phone round rather than wait for job ads to appear.

You don't give us much clue what your skills might be. In the UK charities often hire women because they can get away with paying them less.

Join a union and vote - in the UK you would have had probable unfair dismissal and/or redundancy claims.

Claim every benefit you can. Pride is for the rich.

Offer to work part time as a volunteer in pro bono sectors that interest you - a paid vacancy may come along.

I know a number of people who turn regular profits from ebay trading. Find a niche, and concentrate on the content of your sale ads. Some I know use sewing skills to produce clothes and similar items. I know one male transvestite who makes a fortune selling used underwear on ebay, honestly!

If you are a keen gardner, many women would rather hire a female gardner than a male one, but this is a bit the wrong time of year. Similarly painting and decorating, but here you can try to get in on the "do it before xmas" routine.

Above all concentrate on being inventive and opportunistic. You will have to fight: do it intelligently, and good luck. I hope this reads helpfully, and not as "brace up and get on with it" for that is not what I mean.