Women and poverty - Research Paper Example

?Women and Poverty number TA Topic Women and Poverty Defining Women and Poverty Various scholars have sought to define the term poverty. Unanimously though, the definitions portray poverty as a condition of material deprivation that results from lack or denial of access to resources, opportunities, employment and subsequently income. The United Nations in its recent measurement of poverty levels in societies has defined poverty as a condition in which people live in less than one dollar in a day. Coulter (24) defined poverty as the nature in which certain individuals or groups of people in the society are deprived of resources and are denied opportunities to improve their lives. Poverty is the lack of basic needs by people such as food, clothing, and shelter. Poverty in women therefore, is the lack of the basic needs by women that are essential for them to live good lives. The lack of opportunities as well as women’s inability to live long, healthy and creative lives indicates that they face a poverty problem. They do not have the choice to live according to their own wish and standards since they cannot afford the necessities. Additionally, the lack of freedom and failure to live according to their desires takes away their dignity, making the society down look upon them. The biological and sociological processes that affect both men and women have varying effects on the two genders, affecting each one of them in their own unique way. While these differences positively affect men, women on the other hand are negatively affected. The gap even becomes bigger in areas with minimal legislations that focus on women development. Social structures and roles assigned to women and men by the society too affect their poverty levels. The cultural expectation of men to be the providers of their families makes the society give them more opportunities. Paper Outline 1. Feminization of poverty 2. Nature and extent of poverty in women 3. Causes of poverty among women (a) Wage gap between men and women (b) Low salaries among women (c) Lack of job opportunities for women (d) Inequality in distribution of resources (e) Social exclusion of women by the society (f) Lack of credit and loan facilities for women (g) Negative effects of credit (h) Traditional beliefs and practices (i) Poor farming methods (j) Poor legislations 4. Conclusion and Recommendations In conclusion, poverty in women is real and women are suffering from lack of opportunities and enough income to sustain decent lifestyles. This has resulted to feminization of poverty, which is an association of women with poverty. The factors that contribute to the high poverty levels among women are both social and legislative related. High wage gaps between men and women, low salaries, lack of job opportunities, inequality in distribution of resources, social exclusion of women by the society, lack of credit and loan facilities for women, negative effects of credit, traditional beliefs and practices, poor farming methods for women, working in agriculture and poor legislations all contribute to the women’s poverty levels. Annotated bibliography Townson, Monica. A Report Card on Women and Poverty, The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2000. Web. 29 May 2013 In the paper, “A Report Card on Women and Poverty”, Townson gives a clear analysis of the different causal factors of escalated levels of poverty among Canadian women. Feminization of poverty as she points out is by its construction a societal and legislative concern. From her study, she explores the various contributing factors to the high poverty levels among women in the Canadian society. Townson believes that women have unjustly been associated with poverty, tracing the issue of women poverty to a historical point of view. This problem as she observes has been around the society for a long time. According to her, the biggest contributing factor to escalating poverty levels among women in Canada is the huge wage gap between men and women. Unequal resources distribution as well as lack of opportunities equally contributes to these problems. Further, she notes that any attempts to liberate themselves from these poverty levels have been constrained by lack of legislations and empowerment by the society. The misappropriate manner in which resources are distributed is the biggest contributing factor of this problem. Women’s denial of equality of opportunities with men by the society especially the unequal job allocation and wealth distribution all contribute to the high levels of poverty. She notes that the problem deeply lies within the society, and that there are weak legislations set by governments to improve the status. Burkhauser, Richard and Joseph Sabia. "The Effectiveness of Minimum-Wage Increases in Reducing Poverty: Past, Present, and Future." Contemporary Economic Policy 25.2 2007. Concerning the high poverty levels among women in Canada, Burkhauser and Sabia seek to offer solutions with the intention of minimizing these levels by bridging the wage gap between men and women. They strongly believe that bridging the wage gap is only achievable through raising the minimum wage levels of women in salaried jobs. Further, they offer solutions that could successfully bridge this wage gap and minimize poverty levels among women if successfully implemented by the concerned parties. Burkhauser and Sabia observe that few women occupy big positions in the companies, and this has seen the wage gap remain wide. Only men occupy these jobs, while women assume the roles of support staff and casual laborers. To them, raising the minimum wages could be the only way in of reducing poverty levels among women. Earning wages equal to those of men, women have the opportunity to live good lives without having to depend on men for their basic needs. Giving women opportunities equal to men is the best way of solving the problem of women poverty. They conclude that policies geared towards women empowerment is the only way of bridging this gap, giving them increased opportunities, and restoring their dignity. Coulter, Kendra. “Women, Poverty Policy, and the Production of Neoliberal Politics in Ontario, Canada.” Journal of Women, Politics & Policy (2009): 30.1. Print. Policies proposed to reduce poverty levels among women are influenced by politics of neoliberalism. The analysis of women and poverty and the effects of politics of neoliberalism help in understanding the nature of drafting these policies. Inequality that is evident in the distribution of resources is traced to the drafting of laws and policies that relate to women. Women involved in feminist movements are given an opportunity to speak their thoughts and ideas openly in the Ontario platform which allows them to share their ideas with the world. Women face numerous challenges due to their impoverished nature. By speaking these out, the policy makers understand the level of suffering that the poor women are faced with. Feiner, Susan F. and Drucilla K. Barker "Microcredit and Women's Poverty." Dollars & Sense (2006): 10-1. Print. Microcredit, which is part of the proposed policies to reduce the high poverty levels among women, has had its negative effects on women. Many women in self-employment have sought these microcredits offered to them to expand their businesses. The high interests charged on loans and credit obtained from the microcredit institutions and banks has had a negative effect on women who borrow them. Over reliance on credit constrains their ability to grow the businesses, with most credit providing less grace period for recovery of the invested money. McKeen, Wendy. "Money in their Own Name: The Feminist Voice in Poverty Debate in Canada, 1970-1995."Labour 23.3,4. (2005). Print. Numerous laws and policies have been drafted that are aimed at reducing the levels of poverty in women. Women feel that they should be included in the drafting of these policies since they directly affect them. Therefore, feminist groups seek to liaise with the policy makers to make consultations before drafting of the policies. In their own view, women are faced with numerous problems due to their poor nature. Through poverty, they have been denied opportunities to improve their lifestyles and subsequently do not have many choices available. Their poor nature has denied them power and freedom of choice and decision, leaving them under their husbands. However, given opportunities to earn income is likely to give them more power and subsequently have more choices on their disposal. Spinney, Jamie and Hugh Millward. "Time and Money: A New Look at Poverty and the Barriers to Physical Activity in Canada.”Social Indicators Research 99.2 (2010): 341-56. Print. The relationship between time and money holds that the more time people spend while working, the more money they earn. People who spend more time while working are likely to be wealthier than those who spend less time engaging in poverty generating activities. Income and poverty among women can be attributed to the amount of time they spend while undertaking income generating activities. In comparison to men who work most of the time, women stay at home and take care of their households. This therefore contributes to their high poverty levels. Read More