Topic > Result of the feminisation of poverty

Index Poverty within the family Social exclusion Government policies and good governance Traditional role of carer Gender and time Functions cited In recent decades there has been growing concern about the growing gap between men and women and between men living in poverty. This has become known as the feminization of poverty. The idea that women are more likely to be poorer than their male counterparts. It can be said that poverty is the other side of well-being, which is not just a concern for income, but rather includes the inability to own a piece of land, to have access to credit, to healthcare, to education quality, exposure to violence, external economic difficulties. shock, natural risk, voicelessness and social exclusion (Yekini, Rufai, Adetola, Akinwole, & Ojo, 2013). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Development Assistance Committee (2001) states that poverty comprises various dimensions of denial associated with human capabilities, food consumption and availability, health care, quality education, rights, good jobs, protection and dignity. Richard and Sonja (2008) report that poverty is not just limited to the inability to access material resources, but involves the inability to access quality healthcare, education and housing. Poverty results in hunger, lack of healthcare, sanitation and poor housing, sanitation and living standards. The causes of poverty range from low income, lack of education, lack of resources, lack of opportunities and lack of an enabling environment to improve one's well-being. As a result of the feminization of poverty, poverty has for decades been seen as a women's issue. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, said that “you can understand the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women (Nachiappan and Rajan, 2008). Therefore, there has been much criticism and conflicting opinions on whether poverty has a feminine face (Green, 2010). The feminization of poverty is a common characteristic of most underdeveloped countries, including one in two in the world. The population is made up of women who represent 70% of people living in poverty throughout the world (Maghadam, 2005; UNIFEM, 2013; Chant, 2003). Women make up approximately 80% of farmers in Africa and over 40% of illiterate women with no formal education in Africa (Johnson, 2013). It has been argued that poverty is a multidimensional issue and some causes of this problem affect both men and women, while others specifically affect women more than men. these factors are discussed as follows; Poverty within the family The analysis of the literature shows that all individuals are perceived as equal recipients of the income earned by the family. This approach, however, obscures the extent to which women are exposed to poverty at the household level. Men generally tend to be the breadwinner and consequently decide how to distribute or use income. Furthermore, women within families tend to give up or sacrifice their own needs, such as clothing, food and personal possessions, to protect their family. As a result, women within the household are at greater risk of facing poverty than other household members. Social exclusion Poverty is mostly associated with social exclusion. Women living in poverty find it very difficult to participate in the social and political activities of the community. Thisbecause they lack self-confidence due to the negative self-confidence created by poverty. Social exclusion not only affects the well-being of women in poverty, but also reduces the prospect of these women escaping poverty. Women's unjust access to society, resources and opportunities arises from the demerit situation in which they find themselves in the form of class, race and gender in any given context. society. Class can be defined as a social relationship based on the possibility of using and possessing resources together with the means of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of products (Bradley, 1998). Gender has to do with social functions, behavior, hopes and expectations as manifested in their cultural and social beliefs, as shown in the interaction between men and women in communities (Blackden and Wodon, 2006). Government Policy and Good Governance Governments often formulate policies aimed at reducing poverty, but fail to formulate specific policies aimed at reducing female poverty. A gender perspective is missing when formulating policies to reduce poverty. Women's risk of poverty is linked to their social exclusion, exclusion from the workforce and participation in decision-making processes that concern them. There is a lack of gender-based policies that encourage the creation of better-paying jobs for women and create more opportunities for women to take part in decision-making in their communities and the nation as a whole. Poor governance can also lead to civil war in a state and this contributes to increased poverty (McFerson, 2009; Collier, 2007). In most poor countries, a lack of good governance also contributes to female poverty. Good governance can bring benefits and change for the better the well-being of the poor, especially women who represent the largest portion of the poor in Africa (Baden, 1999). It is also important to point out that poor governance and corruption prevent a nation from developing because those without political connections tend to suffer the most. Most opportunities for women are only accessible to those who know people in strategic offices and positions due to corruption. Women's participation in decision-making is also lacking. Over the past few decades, women's representation in the legislature has improved, and today women hold 16% of parliamentary seats worldwide. However, a female voice is missing in political decision-making and in the public arena. In the event that such a defect is present, it is usually too weak to make a significant difference. Traditional caregiver role Traditional and cultural stereotypes have contributed to the gender division of labor. This has led to stereotypes that women are primarily responsible for caring for children and the elderly, cooking, cleaning and doing household chores. This forces women to work for few hours or not at all as they have to balance their work life and take care of their family full time. This prevents women from taking up opportunities to develop skills or take up work to earn an income, accumulate assets and a pension. Gender and time The issue of time use adds an important dimension to the paradigm of gender and poverty in Africa. (Kes and Swaminathan, 2006). “Time poverty” particularly affects poor women and girls, who are required to contribute time and labor to various tasks and consequently forego education. (Canagarajah and Coulombe, 1998.) Contrary to the thesis (Collier, 1998) according to which the poor have a lower opportunity cost of time, a, 2(4), 44-49.