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Feminization of Poverty

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Feminization of Poverty
Feminization of Poverty
With this term, the author infers that there is a higher likelihood of women being poor
that there is for men in any given society. He avers that the feminine gender has higher affinity to
poverty as compared to the male and thus juxtapositions the two nouns to forge a powerful
phrase. In his arguments, Crapo states that he has arrived at this conclusion basing on the fact
that women represent a disproportionate proportion of the poor. These are sentiments that have
widely been discredited by a number of authors particularly those from feminist backgrounds
who fault sexism in the instance. Rather than using the female-headed household approach to
assess the wealth or lack thereof by any gender, focus should be merited factors that give
attention to outcomes in terms of choices and opportunities instead of the overall income
generated (Fukunda, 1999).
The question of why and how women are most vulnerable has been responded to by a
myriad of scholars who have expressed divergent opinions over the subject with a few
concurring. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 55% of the total population in the
United States comprised of women. With these statistics alone, it means that the probability of
women being affected by poverty is almost at 60% (Crapo, 2013). He attributes some of the
causes to single motherhood and acclaims that there are three times more single mothers as there
are single fathers. This means that due to the difficulty in adequately providing for oneself and
for their children, women run a higher risk of being poverty stricken. The lack of adequate
income then creates a vicious cycle of poverty where the same women are unable to access or
afford the resources such as education and quality health care that may aid an improvement on
their income (Crapo, 2013).

Feminization of Poverty
Cultural and social embargos have also been associated with the plight of women in as far
as the risk of being poor is concerned. It has been noted that due to some cultural practices or
social concerns in different parts of the world, women find themselves excluded from income
earning. An example is given of certain Islamic practices that prohibit women from doing certain
things to constitute such hindrances (Fukunda, 1999). In other cultures particularly in the
developing and the underdeveloped worlds, cultures expressly exclude women from benefits
such as education while others subject them to early marriages. Moreover, poor women find
themselves in situations where they have to contend with other factors that compound their
economic status. Crime and police brutality are among the many cultures that impede the
economic welfare of women. In fact, in some regions in the world, women are considered the
minority because of the poverty levels and their vulnerability so societal predicaments (Crapo,
2013).

References
Crapo, R. H. (2013). Cultural Anthropology. Yanomamo, Chagnon: A Street in Marrackesh,
Ferner.
Fukunda, S. (1999, May 5). Feminist Economics. Retrieved August 29, 2016, from csus.edu:
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/c/chalmersk/econ184sp09/fukuda-parrfeminizationpoverty.pdf