Gaskin was born in Pontardawe, a steel mill town in Glamorgan, Wales in 1919, the daughter of Edward Jacobs and Edith Jacobs (née Skinner), and grew up there during the Great Depression. Foreign much of her childhood her father, a steel worker, was unemployed.
Gaskin taught at schools in London during World World War World War II In New Zealand, she taught English at New Plymouth Girls" High School, as well as a Shakespeare module at New Plymouth Boys" High School, where her pupils included Andrew Little. She served as national junior vice president of the Post Primary Teachers" Association in 1976, national president in 1977 and senior vice president in 1978. She also served as a New Plymouth councillor.
Gaskin died on 8 January 2016.
A lifelong socialist, Gaskin stood for Parliament as the Labour Party candidate for New Plymouth at the 1984 general election, losing to incumbent Tony Friedlander by 269 votes.
