1. Women and Poverty

2. Statistics
According to some estimates, women represent 70 percent of the world’s poor
“I find good clean cardboard and I always carry my own sleeping bag. The most important thing is to have blankets. We learn to carry those blankets. We learn to because this is our home.”
-Nancy, Canada.
Women Feed the world ( )

3. Things Women Do Worldwide: Developing Countries: Arab States:
Perform 66% of the work
Produce 50% of the food
Earn 10% of income
Own 1% of property
Developing Countries:
Provide 70% of agricultural labour
Produce more than 90% of the food
Nowhere represented in budget deliberations
Arab States:
Only 28% of women participate in the workforce
South Africa:
The average distance to the moon is 394,400 km, South African women together walk the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back 16 times a day to supply their households with water

4. Feminization of Poverty
“The feminization of poverty is a change in the levels of poverty biased against women or female headed households. More specifically, it is an increase in the difference in the levels of poverty among women and men or among female versus male and couple headed households.”

5. Discussion Question
Poverty impacts women more severely than it does men
What are the reasons for this?

6. Causes of the Feminization of Poverty
Growth of Female- Headed Households
Intra-Household Inequalities
Divorces, separations
Children born to single mothers
Higher male mortality
Patriarchal family situation
Gender division of labour and consumption within the household (unpaid work)

7. Causes of the Feminization of Poverty
Inequality in Access to Public Services
Inequality to Social Protection
Barriers to education for girls
Lack of specific health attention
Lower access to pensions and social assistance
Inequality in benefit values in targeted policies

8. Causes of the Feminization of Poverty
Labour Market Inequalities
Legal Restraints in Public Life
Occupational segregation
Intra-career mobility
Wage discrimination
Duration of work shifts
Property rights
Discrimination in the judiciary system
Constraints in community and political life

9. Case Study: USA

10. Which of the following ethnicities do you think has the highest level of poverty?
African American
White
Asian
Hispanic

11. What family make-up do you think has the highest poverty rate?
Married women with no dependent children
Single women with no dependent children
Married women with dependent children
Single women with dependent children

12. Which age group lives in the most poverty?
0-24
55-74
25-54
75+

13. What is the average annual salary for full time employed women and men in 2007?
$17 865
$27 562
$35 102
$43 947
Men
$20 655
$26 435
$39 734
$45 113
c) $35 102
d) $45 113

14. Solutions
Knowing the causes of the Feminization of Poverty, what do YOU think can be done to help address women and poverty?
“The best policy solutions to address women’s poverty must combine a range of decent employment opportunities with a network of social services that support healthy families, such as quality health care, child care, and housing support. Policy objectives must also recognize the multiple barriers to economic security women face based on their race, ethnicity, immigration status, sexuality, physical ability, and health status. These approaches must promote the equal social and economic status of all women by expanding their opportunities to balance work and family life.”

15. United Nations Millennium Development Goals
Largest worldwide poverty reduction campaign

16. Attaining the Millennium Development Goals
Women have multiple roles. At any given time they can be mothers, leaders, students, decision- makers, farmers, workers, voters and much more
In each of these roles, the ability to be educated and healthy, to have voice and influence, and to enjoy opportunities and choices are critical to the attainment of the Goals.
Gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to achieving the MDGs because without these capabilities and opportunities, women are less able to reach their full potential, live a life of dignity, and be productive citizens.

17. Homework
“Gender equality helps accelerate achievement of each goal. In addition, there is solid evidence that progress in gender equality in one goal often contributes simultaneously towards progress on a number of other development goals. For example, gender equality in education also makes significant contributions to a nation’s economic growth and poverty reduction as well as to reduced malnutrition, fertility, and child mortality”
Explain how gender equality and women’s empowerment is essential for the worldwide community to achieve each millennium development goal
Use the following website to get your information:
MakingChangeHappen.pdf