Feminization of poverty

Published on 17 Feb 2025

The term ‘feminization of poverty’ refers to the trend in which women, particularly those in single-parent households or female-headed households, are disproportionately represented among the world's poor. This concept highlights the intersection of gender and poverty, emphasizing that women are more likely to experience poverty compared to men.

Reasons for the feminization of poverty

✔     Economic vulnerability: Women face wage gaps and are mostly employed in low-paying and insecure jobs compared to men, which increases the likelihood of women living in poverty.

●      Example: 82% of the total number of working women are in the informal sector, making them more vulnerable during any crisis.

✔     Gender inequality in education: Limited access to higher education for women can contribute to their economic vulnerability. Without proper education, women may have fewer opportunities for higher-paying secure jobs.

●      Example: Women in IITs and IIMs are 20% and 23% respectively. Less representation in such premium institutes prevents them from high-paying jobs.

✔     Unequal access to resources: Women may have limited access to productive resources such as land, credit and technology, hindering their ability to generate income and escape poverty.

●      Example: Women constitute just 14% of the agricultural landowners while they constitute 33% of cultivators.

✔     Single-parent households: Women-headed households, especially those with a single mother, are more susceptible to poverty due to the challenges of balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.

●      Example: According to the Wealth Index, 25% of the female-headed households are in the poorest category.

✔     Discrimination and violence: Women facing gender-based violence may have difficulty maintaining stable employment and economic independence.

●      Example: According to ILO, 6.3% of workers face sexual harassment in the workplace. This inhibits labour participation.

Impacts of feminization of poverty

✔     Nutrition and health deficit: Poverty can result in food shortage within the family. An adult woman being the final person to consume is often left with little or no food.

●      Example: A quarter of Indian women of reproductive age have a body mass index of less than 18.5, indicating undernutrition.

✔     Increased vulnerability to exploitation: Poor women have very little bargaining power and hence can be employed for minimal wages, thus subjected to exploitation.

●      Example: According to the World Inequality Report, Indian men earn 82% of labour income whereas women earn 18% of it.

✔     Limited scope of development for girl child:  Feminization of poverty creates a vicious cycle where education and health care are denied to the girl child, thus curbing their development potential.

✔     Reduced role in family planning: Reduced economic contribution of women towards the household can reduce their importance and power within the family.

✔     Increased security threats: Poverty can deny safe housing and working conditions to women, which exposes women to diverse security threats.

●      Example: Instances of abuse at the workplace are usually targeted towards daily wage women workers due to their poor socio-economic background and vulnerability.

✔     Increases the dependency culture: Since women suffer more due to poverty they get inclined towards a supportive system, thus making them less independent in life

Way forward

✔     Equal pay policies: Implement policies that promote equal pay for equal work.

✔     Access to education: Increasing access to education, employment opportunities and financial resources for women.

✔     Promoting financial inclusion: Facilitate women’s access to financial services, including credit and savings accounts and this can empower women to start businesses, invest and build financial resilience.

✔     Workplace equality: Promote workplace policies that support work-life balance, such as flexible working arrangements, parental leave and affordable childcare.

The feminization of poverty is a complex and global issue that has far-reaching consequences for women, families and communities. Addressing this is essential for achieving sustainable and equitable economic growth and improving the well-being of women and communities around the world.

Tags:
Social Justice

Keywords:
Feminization of poverty Poverty Gender inequality Women

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 2

Topics:
Social Justice