Kottak presents the concept of the feminization of poverty - Essay Example

Kottak and the Concept of the Feminization of Poverty Characteristics and Causes According to Kottak, feminization of poverty exhibits three main attributes. These include the following: (a) gender inequalities and little growth in terms of women’s capabilities and entitlements vis-à-vis men, (b) longer working hours in both reproductive and productive activities (at significantly lower wages), (c) legal, cultural and labor-market hindrances that surround their capacity to fight poverty and impede their occupational and social mobility (Kottak 27).

Kottak approaches his examination of the concept of feminization of poverty in terms of three main factors that have been explored extensively in the gender and development and women in development literature. These include (1) the growth and emergence of female/women-headed households, (2) inequalities between households and discrimination against girls and women and, and (3) economic policies that lean heavily towards neo-liberalism, including structural changes and transitions in post-socialist markets (Kottak 82).

Kottak argues that increasing visibility of poverty among women is deeply rooted in political economies, cultural trends and demographic patterns. He states that there are huge regional variations in the financial and economic status of women-headed households, and this is primarily influenced by women’s access to property and employment, political regimes and social policies. Kottak also states that inequalities between households have been found to worsen the state of women’s rights in terms of their vulnerability (105).

This manifests in form of inequalities in resource allocation to households and a lack of decision-making in important spheres like legal codes, public policy and development. Inadequate access to property rights (in land), employment, illiteracy, poor wages, childbearing, early marriages have also proved detrimental to the empowerment of women and the realization of their rights. The expansion of female/women-headed households has been found to be influential in the exacerbation of women’s poverty, and although this has not been proved in most parts of the world, the United States offers a stark example of what may eventually be the situation in a majority of countries.

In the US, feminization of poverty is closely linked to the growth of female-headed households especially among low-income females in terms of insufficient social support (Kottak 74) It has been established that neoliberal economic policies have a tendency and potential to induce poverty and hence have adverse effects on girls and women. These policies have had a huge influence on the rising poverty and inequality among women. By triggering certain economic changes, they have placed a huge burden on women with household responsibilities, mothers with small children and wage earners (Kottak 59).

SolutionsAccording to Kottak (173), the empowerment of women as well as the realization of their rights is a key driver of the war against poverty and vulnerabilities among them. In this regard, there are a number of ways in which the feminization of poverty can be tackled. These include well-formulated social programs such as job creation, training programs, distribution of land, better and adequate housing, childcare facilities and employment services and the modification of discriminatory rules.

Other measures include the strengthening of social welfare policies and mechanisms in order to provide long-term solutions to the women’s poverty. The denial of human rights can be considered as poverty, and therefore women are forced to suffer twice. This is due to not only their gender but also their poor state. As a result of this, a lot of emphasis should be placed on programs aimed at alleviating poverty in order to address both women’s human rights and gender inequality (Kottak 38).

Work CitedKottak, Conrad Phillip. Anthropology: the exploration of human diversity. New York: Random House, 2009. Print.